Rooting for Downtown Dallas | Working Title Ep. 69

About this episode

The episode discusses the rapid changes in Downtown Dallas and their implications for residents and investors, focusing on real estate and community dynamics.

Dallas is changing fast. The crew digs into why local coverage feels thinner, what that means for residents and investors, and how decisions downtown ripple across the entire metro.Real estate touches everything. From arena politics to permitting portals, each decision shifts values, activity, and the Dallas city’s story.What We Get Into:If you care about Dallas, real estate, and growth, this is your show.Episode Recap:-Downtown at a tipping point:-Safety + homelessness perceptions vs. on-the-ground improvements-Functional obsolescence: big towers, thin parking, street-level retail challenges-How perceptions shape capital flows, leasing, and where people choose to live and work-Sports as an economic engine:-What happens to hotels, restaurants, and tax base if the Mavs or Stars leave the core?-Why modern teams want full control of districts—and what it would take to keep them in Dallas proper-Big civic chessboard:-City Hall’s future location (museum piece vs. pragmatic move)-Convention center overhaul and the risk/reward for downtown vitality-Signals from City departments: permitting tech upgrades, faster responses, signs of accountability-Projects to watch: Landmark towers eyeing…

People in this episode

Host: Zach Sams

Topics covered

• Downtown Dallas
• real estate
• local coverage
• safety
• homelessness
• arena politics
• permitting
• economic impact of sports
• city planning
• community perceptions

Keywords

• growth
• capital flows
• leasing
• adaptive reuse
• City Hall
• convention center
• State Fair of Texas
• school district perceptions

Mentioned in this episode

Products: mixed-use conversions, adaptive reuse

Books & works: Rooting for Downtown Dallas

Places: Dallas

More episodes of Working Title with Zach Sams

• Is Dallas-Fort Worth still booming—or starting to slow down? · March 31, 2026 · 44 min
• The Ultimate Dallas Sports Bracket: Who’s the Greatest of All Time? · March 16, 2026 · 52 min
• Texas Real Estate in Transition: Growth, Gridlock & the Future of Housing · March 4, 2026 · 57 min
• Chris Putnam on The Dallas Express, Media Bias, and the Future of Dallas · February 12, 2026 · 50 min
• How Buddy Cramer Created the Iconic Katy Trail Ice House: Lessons in Outdoor Hospitality · February 6, 2026 · 43 min
• How to Fix Dallas Transit: Lessons from David Leininger on Rail, Buses, and On-Demand Solutions · January 22, 2026 · 41 min