What’s Coming Soon to Downtown Arlington? Plenty!

Downtown Arlington is full of special places that locals know and where visitors want to go. But with so many ongoing developments in the heart of our city, it can be a little challenging to keep up with what’s new in our neighborhood! Here’s a sneak peek at just some of what you can expect to see in 2023.

Downtown Fire Station

Set to open later this year, the all-new Fire Station No. 1 is really taking shape! The two-story, 17,667-square-foot station will be both modern and nostalgic. State-of-the-art features include five large, drive-thru apparatus bays, training areas, indoor/outdoor kennels for the Fire Department’s K9 Unit, plus a full kitchen and a dining room. Behind the big, red doors, the station’s new public space for community events and meetings will include an exhibition space dedicated to the Arlington Fire Department’s history where visitors can see memorabilia up close, including an antique fire engine.

Mineral Well Fountain Clock Tower

Another Downtown project with historic and cultural significance is the Mineral Well Fountain Clock Tower, a tribute to one of Arlington’s earliest landmarks which drew people from all over the country. Built in the 1890s, a well and fountain, complete with lions’ head sculptures, flowed with mineral water for nearly 60 years. Set to open later this year, a Mineral Well Fountain Clock Tower will be an artistic commemoration of this time in Arlington’s history. The tower is located in the plaza between the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library and City Hall.

Rotary Dream Park

After ten years in its temporary location on Abram Street, the popular Dream sculpture will move to a new, permanent home in Downtown Arlington. Rotary Dream Park will be located just a couple blocks away from the Mineral Well Fountain Clock Tower on E. Front Street between N. Center and N. Mesquite Streets. Envisioned as a beautiful gathering place for residents and a Downtown gateway for visitors coming from the Arlington Entertainment District, the .619-acre city park will be anchored by DREAM, created by Jeff Schomberg and Laura Kimpton, and a new interactive public art piece by Jen Lewin Studio. The Lewin piece is being imagined and donated by the Rotary Club of Arlington in celebration of The Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary in Arlington.

Arlington Entertainment District

Less than a mile north of Downtown Arlington is the Arlington Entertainment District. Well known for its increasing variety of professional sports franchises, Six Flags Over Texas, and Texas Live!, the District is readying itself for even more international attention with its growing number of sought-after hotels, an all-new Convention Center, and the National Medal of Honor Museum, all set to open within the next two years.

Urban Union Phase Two

Just in the last few days, infrastructure work along the northern edge of Downtown Arlington has wrapped up and Front Street is once again open to two-way traffic. This marks a big step in the ambitious expansion of Downtown Arlington's popular Urban Union. The expansion includes new mixed-use buildings, anchoring the south side of Front Street, which will become home to restaurants, retail outlets, office space, and apartments. Accounting firm Sutton Frost Cary LLP will be among the first tenants to occupy the second floor of the office building. Once complete, the entirety of Urban Union will stretch five city blocks from 4 Kahunas Tiki Bar and Union Worx to Vandergriff Town Center.

Echelon Downtown Arlington

This new residential community, which is due to open later this year, is aimed at serving working professionals. Echelon will consist of 65 two and three-bedroom homes with rear entry attached two-car garages. Residences will have access to an open common space to promote a sense of community while also providing individually fenced front yards.

Park Place

Park Place residential community, which opened just a couple of years ago, is beginning to welcome its first ground-level retail tenants. Commodities is the first to open its doors and offers a selection of sports memorabilia, apparel, collectibles, and other merchandise. Soon, Insomnia Cookies will be opening nearby. By the end of the spring, this 200 block of Abram Street will create a real sense of connection for pedestrians as they explore all that Downtown has to offer.

About Downtown Arlington

Designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, Downtown Arlington is where creativity, authenticity, and hometown pride thrive and drive what's next. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to the University of Texas at Arlington, a Tier One public research university, as well as prolific visual and performing artists and arts institutions, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate. Stay in the know by subscribing to our e-newsletter and by following us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.