Have You See This In Downtown Arlington?

The economy is Texas is booming. Companies are moving their headquarters here, and that not only increases jobs by tens of thousands a month but also brings more people, which generates more money into our local economy! 

 

Unemployment has been under 4% for the last year and a half, and employers are fighting over the top talent here in the state. At a local level, Arlington has a lower unemployment rate than the state average and employment numbers have been ticking up over the past year. 

 

As the seventh most populous county in the state, Arlington has been able to take advantage of the economic highs and invest back in the city. Both private and public developments are allowing Arlington, TX to expand, modernize and serve its population better. 

 

Below are some of the changes and new additions to our community you may see popping up! 

 

George W. Hawke Public Library  

 

The new Arlington library located near City Hall downtown opened less than a month ago. This 80,000-square foot, state-of-the-art building features three floors of community spaces in addition to the library. Meeting and study rooms and places for teens and children are all housed in this space! The rooftop even features a garden. 

 

Enter the library through the two-story, light-infused lobby that has seating and free wi-fi. Local restaurants will provide pop-up eateries, too, so you can enjoy a snack while you work.  

 

Continue into what has been named ‘The Living Room’ of the library that features new and large-print books. The area also features an interactive art wall for children. 

 

Finally, the children’s area was designed to foster a love of reading from an early age. Kids can climb through tunnels or cozy up on bean bags with their favorite books. It’s not too late to stop by and join the Summer Reading Program either!  

 

ESports 

 

Everyone in Arlington is familiar with the Cowboys Stadium and the ballpark, but what about the Esports arena? This new 100,000-square foot stadium will allow Esports in Arlington to be a leader in the nation in a new way. 

 

For those that don’t know about esports, it’s most commonly described as video gaming at the professional level. Many times, these games are played on teams and require significant teamwork that is drilled (like other sports) before heading into competition. This form of entertainment has exploded over the last serval years, and venues to host events is the only thing holding back future growth. This arena will bring in thousands of spectators and visitors to Arlington each month. 

 

Autonomous vehicles 

 

Have you taken a ride on Milo, the self-driving shuttle that operates in the Entertainment District? The 100th operation of the vehicle is right around the corner, so Arlington is offering free rides to all residents. The shuttles are programmed to run along select off-street trails in Richard Greene Linear Park and Robert Cluck Linear Park between the AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park, and will pick up and drop off passengers at designated stops. 

 

Arlington will soon transition to on-street testing of autonomous vehicles, with service anticipated to be available in the Entertainment District for the general public this coming fall. Milo will be available for rides through August 2018. 

 

In addition to Milo, the City of Arlington approved a resolution in June to show support and encouragement for private companies in the growing autonomous technology industry by coming to The American Dream City to test and deploy robotic delivery devices in a real-world environment. Arlington will continue to be on the cutting edge of technology for a long time to come!