So that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Becky Mayad just sent over a press release (the whole thing is after the jump) wherein she delivers a number of hot sports opinions on behalf of the Build The Hotel cabal. The first is up there in the headline.
By my shaky math, that means Harlan Crow and his anti-hotel team spent between $900,000 and $1.2 million, since they apparently rounded up somewhere in the neighborhood of 60,000 signatures. That just doesn’t feel right, especially in this rocky economic climate. But then again, my wife and I virtually high-fived this morning when we found out her paycheck had, like, $100 extra bucks in it, meaning we could pay all our bills and eat. That kind of finance is clearly above my pay grade.
Also, Mayad and the BTH (decent, but weird band name) say this:
One citizen reported that the petitioners are “talking off a script filled with inflammatory, misleading statements designed to illicit worry and concerns” and couldn’t answer any questions about the project. In fact, one petitioner flat out lied, stating that “the convention center hotel is the reason Dallas ISD had to lay off all those teachers.”
Interesting tactic. Any truth to it? Read the whole thing after the click-thru, then hash it out in the comments, which we have helpfully turned on.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HOTEL SUPPORTERS CRITICIZE METHODS USED
TO GATHER PETITION SIGNATURES
DALLAS (Oct. 9, 2008) — The “Build The Hotel” committee (www.buildthehotel.com <http://www.buildthehotel.com/> ) today called the methods that opponents used to gather signature on petitions “manipulative, misleading and over the top.” Hotel supporters also expressed deep concern with reports that citizens felt cornered by overly aggressive hired petitioners who were getting paid for every signature they gathered.
“On separate occasions, both my daughter and I were approached by petitioners who were extremely aggressive. My daughter felt so uncomfortable after she repeatedly told him no, that she finally provided him false information just to escape the pressure he put on her,” said Sophia Dowl. “When I confronted the pushy petitioner who was after my signature, he finally admitted that he was sorry that he’d provided me inaccurate information, that he was working off a script and he was ‘just being paid to do this’.”
It’s believed that the petitioners receive anywhere from $15 to $20 per signature. One citizen reported that the petitioners are “talking off a script filled with inflammatory, misleading statements designed to illicit worry and concerns” and couldn’t answer any questions about the project. In fact, one petitioner flat out lied, stating that “the convention center hotel is the reason Dallas ISD had to lay off all those teachers.”
Dallas resident Mike Walker was approached at the Uptown Festival a few weeks ago, and a signature gatherer told him the Convention Center Hotel is the reason DISD is laying off teachers.
“She said it’s just horrible they’re laying off teachers and trying to build that hotel,” said Walker. “It was such a bold lie and people were eating it up.”
In addition, the hotel opponents have conducted a phone survey whose wording is confusing and misleading. Casandra Matej, who is senior vice president of sales and services for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau and very close to the project, received one of those calls.
“It’s my job to know the facts about the convention center hotel,” said Matej. “By the time, I got off the call with this phone solicitor, this person had me completely confused. They’re misrepresenting the facts, and it’s frustrating that people are going to be misled by inaccurate, inflammatory information.”
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, who is spearheading the Build The Hotel effort, is adamant that Dallas residents are given accurate information about the project.
“The Dallas Convention Center hotel is a $1 billion asset, an economic engine that currently generates millions every year to help to relieve the burden on our taxpayers,” said Mayor Leppert. “A new convention center hotel will allow us to compete for big, national conventions and maximize our convention center investment.”
He’s also surprised with the opponents’ sour attitude toward the city’s vibrancy and its ability to attract visitors.
“It’s pretty hard to believe and disappointing that the other side has such a pessimistic attitude about Dallas,” said Mayor Leppert. “The reality is that Dallas is the #1 visitor destination in Texas. And our city has all kinds of momentum – from our world-class arts district, to our booming downtown, to our economy, which is one of the strongest and most stable in the nation.”
Mayor Leppert adds that Dallas is a can-do city that has found great success through public-private partnerships downtown. He points to examples such as American Airlines Center, Victory Park and the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.
“The very best way to keep the tax burden on Dallas homeowners from increasing is to find new revenue streams, like tax revenues from convention visitors,* adds Dallas City Councilmember Ron Natinsky, chairman of the Council’s Economic Development Committee.
Phillip Jones, president/CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, reported that the DCVB has seen a major upswing in interest and bookings of conventions and meetings since the Dallas City Council approved plans for the hotel in June. He says that meeting planners have been carefully monitoring the progress in Dallas on the hotel, and have responded very positively. The DCVB finished its 2007-08 year with record breaking success, booking more than 1 million room nights including 15 citywides – a 21 percent increase over last year and the highest number of audited room nights ever booked by the Dallas CVB. For the fourth straight year, Dallas is No. 1 in the state of Texas for bookings.
Jones says that since Council approval in June, the DCVB has finalized seven citywide hotel commitments representing more than 195,000 room nights and valued at more than $200 million in economic impact and is in negotiation with seven more citywides that could result in more than 200,000 room nights and an additional $200 million for our city. Groups such as CEDIA ($153 million in economic impact; 105, 300 room nights) and Texas Library Association ($14 million, 9,750 room nights) are among those contingent on a convention center hotel
“This momentum is due in large part to the interest in the hotel,” said Jones, “and I don’t think that, in this economic climate, we want to jeopardize $400 million in economic impact which will result in additional jobs and assist the city in funding fire, police and other services. This is not ‘build it to see if they will come’, but a ‘build it and they WILL come’.”
“On the contrary, there are 80 groups that will not hold their conventions here until a hotel is announced or under construction,” he said. “That translates into $3 billion in lost opportunity to our city.”
Jones adds that the majority of downtown hotels support the convention center hotel.
The convention center hotel will be built adjacent to the existing Dallas Convention Center at the southwest corner of Young St. and Lamar Blvd. Last month the Dallas City Council authorized purchasing the 8.34-acre tract and issued $42 million worth of certificates of obligation to fund the purchase.
Plans are to build a four star convention headquarters hotel that offers a minimum of 1,000 guestrooms; food and beverages facilities including restaurants, lounges and coffee kiosks; and meeting space of at least 100,000 square feet (including grand ballroom, junior ballroom and additional meeting space).
In June 2008, Mathews Southwest was ranked first as developer for the project.
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