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Thursday, May 17, 2012
AT&T Performing Arts Center will finally get its box office
With a coffee shop!
The glass on the box office is not reflective. Whew.
DOWNTOWN DALLAS — Come May 2013, the Dallas Arts District will have its first true box office for patrons to buy tickets in-person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Since the center opened in October 2009, most patrons bought their tickets online or had to walk into the Winspear Opera House to purchase tickets.
The building is situated a few yards off Flora Street between the Meyerson Symphony Center and the Winspear. For now, the space is fenced off while construction continues, but when finished, it'll be a glass cube with a glass roof -- in part because patrons at the Meyerson, Winspear, and on the balcony of the Wyly Theatre will look down on the building.
And no, the glass on the structure is not reflective. Seems the folks at the ATTPAC have been reading the news.
Insert coffee shop here.
The box office will have free wi-fi and a coffee shop of a yet-unspecified brand. Because the two nearest Starbucks shops close at 4 p.m., spokesperson Chris Heinbaugh said he and many of his coworkers are stoked that they'll be able to get a cup of joe in the later afternoon hours at the new coffee shop. "We know it'll be a good brand," he said. "We're not going to do something cheap over there."
The building was designed by London firm Foster + Partners, which also designed the Winspear. The architect is Dallas company Good Fulton & Farrell. The building costs $3.9 million, paid for with private money.
The box office will also have a multimedia feature, seen the blue screens in the photo at the top. Not intended to be an advertisement, representatives at AT&T will design it, Heinbaugh said.
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New restaurant House 34 will open on McKinney Avenue in Uptown
Ha, good point! To their credit, I believe as of today they got in touch with the band and are agree
Venue review: Three Links in Deep Ellum slings craft beer in a rockin' atmosphere
I'll have to check this place out over the weekend.
New restaurant House 34 will open on McKinney Avenue in Uptown
The restaurant/bar didn't pay the band?! Sounds like an invite to "dine & dash," as I'm sure man
lakewoodhobo, anonymous:
I know this is sacrilege but I will say it: I would love to see a Starbucks in that space if it keeps good business hours (evenings, weekends and mornings, of course). The other Starbucks in the area are not company-owned... basically an amenity for tenants of those office towers and thus worthless to people like me who actually pass through Flora every day, including weekends.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
lakewoodhobo, the starbucks at 1700 pacific has been staying open later and on saturdays, and that's not far from the arts district. you could certainly visit them during those hours. any time i go by during that time - and i try to, to let them know that i appreciate their effort - there are very few customers
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lakewoodhobo, anonymous:
Thanks Teresa. I actually do go to that Starbucks every Saturday and I very much appreciate their new hours. I just suppose that if they opened a Starbucks in the Arts District, it would do better on weekends and there probably wouldn't be a need to keep the 1700 Pacific Starbucks open on Sat and Sunday.
Of course I'm also hoping that the buildings around Main Street Garden fill up quickly and we won't even need to thank Starbucks for staying open on weekends.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
well lakewoodhobo, guess i'll see you there some saturday coming soon, and i think you're right that an Arts District store would more easily survive.
i think i feel protective towards 1700 Pacific because their efforts seem plucky, given their lack of visibility from the street, the lack of parking, residents' occasional lack of support, etcetc
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Sarah Blaskovich, staff:
lakewoodhobo, I'd also be pleased with a Starbucks there, though a Pearl Cup or other local coffee shop (long as it's good) would be just as welcomed. Should be interesting to see.
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lakewoodhobo, anonymous:
Sarah I thought about Pearl Cup too, but since they have the new location at St. Paul Place, I don't expect them to move anytime soon.
Dallas Business Journal reported that 211 N. Ervay is under contract and could become a hotel, which would completely turn around weekend business for 1700 Pacific (Starbucks).
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SitizenKane, anonymous:
The design of this thing looks like the ticket sales area for the Shortline Bus in the NY Port Authority....awful.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
is that the bldg with the turquoise windows? i love that bldg. but jeezy, another hotel, really?
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mremanne, anonymous:
IF they put some thought and effort into it, that spot could become the focal point for the entire district. If ATTPAC needs anything, it's a spot where people can hang and smoose without feeling out of place or that it's time to move on.JMO.
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What do you think?