I watched Mayor Jim Ross’ 2023 State of the City address to close out the year. The event was held at Arlington’s Esports Stadium on October 25th and is available on YouTube. Jim Ross is serving his second term as Arlington’s Mayor, with this being his third State of the City address. The annual event primarily serves as a high-level look at the city’s success stories. Here are some of my takeaways.

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Texas Rangers

Mayor Ross wore a customized Texas Rangers jersey with “Ross 21” on the back. (Ross became Arlington’s Mayor in 2021.) He began his speech by showing support for the Texas Rangers, who, at this time, were about to enter the World Series. Their World Series victory a week later would become one of Arlington’s biggest news stories of the year, far eclipsing the Arlington Renegades and their XFL Championship in May.

Employment

Ross then gave a callback to his first State of the City address, where employment was an important component and continues to be so. He reiterated that to attract jobs, employers seek safe neighborhoods and superior educational opportunities for the workers’ children—both of which remain a part of his overall vision for Arlington. Indeed, much of his address focused on economic development; more on that later.

Fire and Police

As part of his safe neighborhoods strategy, Ross cited improvements and growth in the city’s fire and police departments. Crime decreased 8% overall, with violent crime decreasing 21% compared to last year, according to Ross, although he didn’t go into specifics. Arlington has its share of crime, though, which is to be expected (unfortunately) for a city of 400,000 people. Still, it feels safer than Dallas or Fort Worth, although they are much larger and more urbanized cities. Mayor Ross also recognized the city council and applauded their efforts.

Diversity

Mayor Ross announced that Arlington is now the fifth most diverse city in the country, although I’ve yet to see city officials define or explain that in detail. From a socioeconomic profile, though, nearly 20% of Arlington’s population was born in a different country, and that’s surely a significant part of our diversity. Ross added that “diversity is the source of our strength” and announced that the second annual DreamFest is April 26th and 27th of next year. The event, held in and around Levitt Pavilion, will be expanded to two days and feature music, culture, food, and fun to celebrate Arlington’s diversity.

Economic Development

The bulk of Ross’ speech focused on economic development, and understandably so. Arlington is undoubtedly a growing city, with the Entertainment District continuing its phenomenal growth. (I’ve jokingly remarked in the past that the Entertainment District will one day engulf the whole city, yet it’s becoming less of a joke.) The Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center plans to open in February, with the 888-room hotel also featuring the largest ballroom in North Texas. Nearby, the 268-room Drury Hotel plans to open in the summer after lengthy construction delays. I learned from Ross’ speech last year that the number of “heads in the beds” is a significant metric for city visitation, and hotels ensure we have a place for them to stay while they’re here.

Indeed, Arlington continues to be a major tourist draw in North Texas, with Cowboys Stadium and Globe Life Field hosting more than just sporting events. Both venues hosted numerous concerts this year, with Cowboys Stadium—the largest concert venue in North Texas—hosting high-profile artists such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Metallica. (Ross took his granddaughter to the Taylor Swift concert and admits he’s now a Swiftie. He also remarked that her concerts were jolts to the local economies of every tour stop, with Arlington no exception.) Speaking of Cowboys Stadium, the venue will receive nearly $300 million in upgrades, mainly to the interior, and likely in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Arlington is one of sixteen host cities worldwide, and soccer fans will arrive by the thousands to attend the games. Preparations are already underway to ensure it’s a world-class event.

Choctaw Stadium continues to be repurposed and redeveloped by the city, with the venue hosting sports and other events and housing office space for numerous clients. Also, the Arlington Museum of Art is moving from downtown to the Entertainment District, with its 50,000-square-foot space opening in March 2024. (The move from downtown is bittersweet, although it will be a much larger space.) Their first exhibit is a multi-media experience called “Pompeii: The Immortal City,” which looks quite impressive. “One Rangers Way,” a 300-unit luxury apartment complex, is scheduled to open late next year. At the same time, construction continues nearby on the National Medal of Honor Museum, which plans to open in 2025.

Growth also continues outside of the Entertainment District. Major renovations are coming to two shopping centers, Lincoln Square and Town Center, with both expected to have revamped retail and dining options. Medical City Arlington is also expanding, a reminder that the hospital industry is a significant part of our employment and economy. UTA is also experiencing growth, with renovations to their Smart Hospital and School of Social Work. Additional city projects in infrastructure ensure that construction and growth are here to stay.

Ross announced that nearly 2,000 new businesses have arrived in Arlington in the last few years, with 20,000 new jobs coming to the city. He also highlighted the city’s ongoing relationship with General Motors—one of our largest employers—who are celebrating their 70th anniversary in Arlington and announced a $500 million investment in their Arlington plant earlier this year. Other projects include the Rotary Dream Park and Mineral Well Public Plaza, both located downtown. Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park opened earlier this year in Arlington’s River Legacy Parks, one of the first major Parks and Rec investments in recent memory.

Better together

Ross concluded his address with two remarks: “Our best asset in this city is our people,” and “The state of the city today is better because we’re doing it together.” Indeed, “better together” is an ongoing theme in Ross’s approach while he continues to push for further growth and development. Ross has an enthusiasm for Arlington and a strong vision for its future. My only critique is that he spent little time on the city’s struggles or challenges. However, he at least acknowledged homelessness, traffic, and the General Motors strike, yet he seemed optimistic that they were manageable.

It’s an exciting time in Arlington’s history, with the “Ross Years” likely to be later viewed as growth-driven and prosperous. Arlington has its share of challenges but continues to embody the can-do spirit of yesteryears while forging ahead as the American Dream City.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is on the horizon, and it comes during a momentous year for the city: the year marks the city’s 150th anniversary since its founding in 1876. What was once a tiny settlement along the railroad tracks is now nearly 100 square miles and home to 400,000 people. The World Cup could be the largest, most high-profile event in the city’s history, even eclipsing the 2011 Super Bowl, which had its challenges due to the disastrous weather. Early pioneers wouldn’t recognize the city we’ve become, although they’d surely be amazed at its growth. Mass transit continues to be a topic of consideration and possibly the city’s greatest challenge. Nonetheless, we are surely “better together,” as Mayor Ross suggests.

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Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 12-31-23