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Addison Circle: Addison, TX
Addison Circle Brings Urban Environment to Dallas Suburbs
Fourteen miles north of Dallas, Texas lies the Town of Addison,
a classic American "edge city" surrounded by freeways and collector
roads. Freeway access on the North Dallas Tollway connects Addison
to every major highway in the Dallas Metroplex. Development in Addison
has been driven, in part, by a 1975 referendum that allowed liquor
to be served by the drink in town. As a result, Dallas hotel and
restaurant development was funneled northward to Addison and the
late 1970s and early 1980s brought explosive growth in the commercial
and entertainment sectors. Described as the place "where Dallas
goes for fun," Addison's eating establishments can seat over 20,000
at a time — a number larger than the town's population. With
a population of only 15,000 and a land area of 4.5 sq. miles, Addison
is the largest center of retail activity, employing more than 160,000
daily — 14 percent of the jobs in the Dallas area.
In the early 1990s, Addison Town officials imagined a different
future for the town, which was rich in jobs but lacked housing.
Their vision was to try to balance commercial development with new
high-quality urban development, including 3,000 new residences.
Addison's 1991 Comprehensive Plan called for a new center of town
that would provide a mix of uses where residents could "live, work,
play and stay." Since then, Addison has started to transition from
a place of sprawling suburban land uses with a lack of pedestrian
experiences to a town featuring a vibrant mixed-use district rich
with street life and entertainment.
Through the Vision 2020 process, a 70 acre site — surrounded
by parking lots, freeways and collector roads — was identified
as the site for Addison Circle, the new town center district. Through
a public-private partnership, the City of Addison worked with the
landowner of the site, Gaylord Trust, and Columbus Realty Trust,
an experienced developer of mixed use, neo-traditional compact projects,
to develop a walkable town center. The plan was a direct challenge
to the isolating and self-contained development pattern of typical
North Dallas garden apartment development. However, a market study
conducted by the team revealed widespread support for higher density
housing with more useable common space and active street life.
 The
Specific Plan created a new zoning classification for the district
and revised building codes to allow for construction of an urban
district in a distinctly suburban area. To ensure quality development,
design and development standards addressed issues of density, streetscape,
building materials and lot coverage. In the final plan, emphasis
was placed on high quality infrastructure resulting in a pedestrian-friendly
street network. The City provided incremental financing for public
infrastructure from the general fund based on Columbus Realty's
performance. An initial $4 million was allocated for infrastructure
and public space improvements, and an additional $5 million was
allocated for successive phases of development. The City provided
$1 million for an international design competition for a public
art display located in Addison Circle's roundabout — the namesake
and focal point of the new district.
In an effort to maintain a pedestrian-scale urban environment and
to keep traffic impacts to a minimum, the plan for Addison Circle
called for two distinguishable sub-areas. One is the residential
neighborhood comprised of mid-rise housing, neighborhood retail,
parks and community services. The commercial district, fronted by
the North Dallas Tollway, consists of high-density office, hotel,
retail, and residential development. At buildout, the commercial
district is expected to result in 10,000 permanent jobs. Open space
and a traffic roundabout connect the two areas.
The focus on street design and public spaces makes for a comfortable
urban experience. Sidewalks are generous, measuring 12 feet deep
on residential streets and 14 feet on boulevards. Streets are narrow,
lined by shade trees at 25-foot intervals. A pedestrian "mews,"
located between buildings, provides fire access, secondary vehicular
access, and pedestrian circulation. Building entries face onto the
mews providing "eyes on the street" for a greater sense of security.
Parking is provided in parking structures with some on-street parking.
While more than 30% of the site is dedicated to open space and
public parks, the new neighborhood still reaches an overall (gross)
density of 37.5 dwelling units/acre. Apartment densities reach as
high as 90 units/acre. A network of pocket parks — 10 acres
in all — and public open space balance the density and create
places for social interaction among the residents. A special event
pavilion near the Conference and Theatre Center provides a venue
for outdoor public events such as "Taste of Addison" and "Octoberfest".
Residential buildings are designed in a four story configuration
around semiprivate courtyards that feature fountains, fireplaces,
gathering areas and pools. Units range from 570-square foot efficiency
units to 3,200-square foot luxury lofts. While the majority of the
units are one-bedroom units, two- and three-bedroom townhomes and
apartments are also available. The residential buildings are constructed
of brick to reflect and complement the existing architectural styles
in Addison.
Construction began in 1995, and is now in the final phases. Buildout
is expected sometime between 2003 and 2005.
For more information on Addison Circle, contact Post Properties
at (404) 846-5000 or visit http://www.postaddisoncircle.com.
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