3 Things Driving Dallas: In-Migration, Millennials & Downtown Revitalization

Millennials are unlike any previous generation when it comes to finding a job. They don't finish school and move where the job search takes them; they pick where they want to live and then find a job, we learned Tuesday at Bisnow’s Dallas State of the Market event. That's great news for Dallas; Millennials are flocking here and the jobs are following.

Tonie Auer/Bisnow

Millennials strive to live in an urban environment where the walkability factor is high, says Downtown Dallas Inc EVP Kourtny Garrett. Downtown is trying to attract young professionals by building up a holistic environment with parks and culture. The companies will follow, she says. At the top of the DDI agenda is mobility from bike lanes to improving public transportation as well as pedestrian areas. Upping the ante: 60 restaurants should open this year and there are 5,000 multifamily units under construction within a three-mile radius of the CBD.

Tonie Auer/Bisnow

PegasusAblon principal Mike Ablon (second from right between VTS director of overseas sales Ben Ramsey in the Southeast, Granite COO Greg Fuller, Kourtny and Marvin F. Poer and Co’s Ken Parson) says Dallas has the lowest average age for residents of any US city. An added bonus: in-migration is the No. 1 industry here. Given the talent and age bracket moving to Dallas, the companies will come to us, Mike says. The key to maintaining that trend isn’t tax incentives, but investing in infrastructure, he says. That can be anything from the Trinity Strand to the Katy Trail. Once the in-migration ends, the music will stop, Mike says.

Tonie Auer/Bisnow

Keeping the cool vibe and adding to the live/work/play mix, Granite Properties’ Factory Six03 at 603 Munger Ave in the West End is in the midst of adding another creative workspace. Granite plans to transform the seven-story, 237k SF building in the Dallas CBD into office and restaurant space. Greg (left, with Select Commercial Services' James Turner, Rhonda Reid and Steve Farr) says the creative office space has been an emerging trend for office users like tech, co-working and design firms. Really, he says, it could suit any company looking to attract the younger workforce, which prefers amenity-rich space with residential, retail and nightlife components.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Dallas-Fort Worth Newsletters
Related Stories

Healthpeak Secures Approval For $4.5B Alewife Project

Mesa City Council Greenlights $3B Mixed-Use Project

McKinney Approves $21M In Funding For Cannon Beach Surf Resort

1375 Peachtree: A Bespoke Design Redefining The Midtown Atlanta Workspace

Machine Investment Group Buys 490-Unit Multifamily Property In North Dallas: The DFW Deal Sheet

Battersea Power Station Reveals Plans To Double Development Again

Crystal Residences Offers A Model For Delivering New Housing And Lasting Community Benefits In Coral Gables

Design Plans Revealed For RFK Stadium Parking Garages, Headed To Review

DFW Multifamily Distress Creates Opening For Investors As Development Slows

Apartments Kick Off New Era Of Mixed-Use Activity In Philly Navy Yard

Stephen Ross Expands Palm Beach Empire With Massive Boca Raton Campus

DFW's Life Sciences Sector Offers Startups The Ingredients They Need To Scale