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| BEST IN THE WEST: Johnny Campbell is president and CEO of Fort Worth’s Sundance Square, where M.L. Leddy’s is located. photography by Dan Sellers |
COMPANY: Sundance Square
TITLE: President and CEO
DETAILS: Nearly 4 million square feet of office, retail, and residential space; includes two upscale residential complexes, 24 restaurants, three art galleries, and two museums
WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW HIM: While Dallas works to revive its city core, perhaps it should take a few pointers from Johnny Campbell. As president and CEO of Fort Worth’s Sundance Square—the historic, 40-block section of downtown that straddles Main Street—Campbell knows a thing or two about managing a thriving urban environment that’s appealing and accessible.
The key, he says, has been maintaining the right balance of retail, residential, and office space while combatting negative stereotypes that plague most downtowns, including parking, crime, and cleanliness. To accomplish this, Campbell and his team have overcompensated, boasting 5,000 free parking spaces, private security forces in addition to police, daily street cleanings, and more.
The result? A more than 99 percent occupancy rate for office space alone (and 98 percent overall), enough to earn Fort Worth the top spot on Moody’s 2006 list of the strongest U.S. office markets and prompt construction of The Carnegie, a 300,000-square-foot office building set to open in July.
The success of Sundance, Campbell says, has had myriad positive effects on the rest of the city. “You always hear people saying that downtown is the heart of a city, but … downtown Fort Worth is the stomach of the city,” he explains. “As you feed the stomach, it feeds the rest of the city.”
