1.
Irving, Texas
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Irving is a principal city located in Dallas County in the U. S. state of Texas. According to a 2013 estimate from the United States Census Bureau, Irving is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. In January 2011 the city completed the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, part of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport lies inside the city limits of Irving. Irving was founded in 1903 by J. O and it is believed that literary author Washington Irving was a favorite of Netta Barcus Brown, and consequently the name of the town site, Irving, was chosen. Irving originally began in 1889 as an area called Gorbit, Irving was incorporated April 14,1914, with Otis Brown as the first mayor. By the late nineteenth century the Irving area was the site of churches, the Irving district public school system dates back to the 1909 establishment of Kit and Lively schools. Population growth was slow and sometimes halting, with only 357 residents in 1925, by the early 1960s the city had a population of approximately 45,000. A number of manufacturing plants operated in Irving, along with transportation, retail, the University of Dallas in Irving opened in 1956, and Texas Stadium was completed in 1971 as the home field of the Dallas Cowboys. Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashed in Irving on August 2,1985, Irvings population reached 155,037 in 1990 and the United States Census estimated 236,607 residents in 2016, a 3.5 percent population increase over 2013 census estimates. Joseph Rice recorded the history of Irving in his 1989 book, Irving, Rice explored Irvings past and culture in his treatment of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 67.7 square miles. The warmest month on average is July, and the highest recorded temperature was 112 °F in 1980, the average coolest month is January, and the lowest recorded temperature was −8 °F in 1899. Irving is considered to be part of the subtropical region. May is the average wettest month, as of the census of 2000, there were 191,615 people,76,241 households, and 46,202 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,850.2 people per square mile, there were 80,293 housing units at an average density of 1,194.3 per square mile. Non-Hispanic Whites were 48. 2% of the population, down from 88. 9% in 1980,31. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3. 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the family size was 3.19. In the city, the population was out with 25. 2% under the age of 18,11. 9% from 18 to 24,39. 4% from 25 to 44,17. 4% from 45 to 64
2.
Texas
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Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
3.
Las Colinas
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Las Colinas is an upscale, developed area in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas. Originally called El Ranchito de Las Colinas, Las Colinas was developed in 1972 by cattle ranching millionaire Ben H. Carpenter. It was one of the first planned communities in the United States and was once the largest mixed-use development in the South, with an area of more than 12,000 acres. Urban planners were consulted to lay out the town, an undertaking that predated later projects in Plano, Allen. In 1985, the first sign of trouble appeared at Las Colinas after a real estate market crash. However, another 6,500,000 square feet of space was built in the late 1990s boom. Residential real estate prices rose steadily. Other companies with headquarters in Las Colinas include Mission Foods, Trend Micro and La Quinta Inns, La Quinta announced it was going to move its headquarters from San Antonio, stating that it wished to be near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It is also the home to The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, FOX News also tapes from the FOX News Texas Studios located in Las Colinas. First Choice Power, Westwood One, TRT Holdings, Inc, in 2008 TXU Energy moved offices into the former TM Advertising headquarters in Las Colinas. The TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort has hosted the HP Byron Nelson Championship of PGA Tour since it opened in 1986 and it features tree-lined fairways, large greens and a number of creeks and ponds. It also contains high-rise office towers, retail centers, upscale residences, apartment complexes, notable attractions include the Mustangs at Las Colinas sculpture and fountain and Las Colinas Flower Clock. The Mustangs of Las Colinas are featured in the courtyard of the Towers at Williams Square, the complex also features a River Walk-styled canal offering gondola cruises, as well as the above-ground Las Colinas APT System. Las Colinas has over 22,300,000 square feet of space,1,300,000 square feet of retail. A 40-acre tract in Las Colinas is also home to the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, schools in the local area include Irving Independent School District, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, and The Highlands School, a private Catholic PreK through 12 school. North Hills Preparatory, an Uplift Education charter school is located in Las Colinas, North Hills Preparatory is an International Baccalaureate school and has been ranked as a top 20 school in America by Newsweek. Glenn Becks independent news and entertainment television network, TheBlaze, has its largest studio complex based in Las Colinas, in September 2017, live music venue Pavilion at the Music Factory is expected to open. Las Colinas is considered to be part of the subtropical region
4.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
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The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency in Dallas, Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs, average daily ridership for DART has been in the vicinity of 200,000 riders per day over the last couple decades. In the 1st quarter of 1998, DARTs weekday ridership averaged 211,000 riders per day system-wide, in the 4th quarter of 2012, DART reported total ridership of 252,900 weekday riders on average. In the fourth quarter of 2014, DART reported that ridership had declined to 233,900 weekday riders. DTS resulted from a consolidation of various privately owned transit companies, prior to DTS, the company was formerly known as the Dallas Railway and Terminal Company when Dallas had an extensive streetcar system that spanned from Oak Cliff to north Dallas. The name was changed shortly after the last streetcar ran in January 1956, DART formally took over operations of the DTS in 1988. In 2000, DART employees restored a 1966 DTS bus to its original state, DART was created on August 13,1983 as a regional replacement for the DTS. Citizens of 15 area cities had voted to levy a 1% sales tax to join the system by the time it began services in 1984. In 1985, member cities Carrollton and Farmers Branch held elections to pull out of DART, just one suburb joined DART — the tiny community of Buckingham, which was later annexed by DART member city Richardson. In December 2007, DART revealed that it was facing a $1 billion shortfall in funds earmarked for the Blue Line rail service to Rowlett and Orange Line service to Irving, in January 2008, DART announced that it would divert monies from rail lines being built in Dallas. In late January 2008, DART Board chair Lynn Flint Shaw, in February, she surrendered to the police on charges of forgery. On March 10, Shaw and her husband, political analyst Rufus Shaw, were dead in their home in what turned out to be a murder suicide. On July 7,2016, four DART officers were among several people shot in a shooting targeting police officers at a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest. One of the officers, identified as seven-year veteran Brent Thompson, died from his injuries, the DART light rail system comprises 93 miles between its four lines — the Red Line, the Blue Line, the Orange Line and the Green Line. According to NCTCOG transit statistics, DARTs light rail system had a ridership of 109,511 average trips per weekday in October 2012 which is an increase of more than 81% since October 2010. The system utilizes light rail trains manufactured by Kinki Sharyo, with all trains being converted to Super LRVs which feature level boarding, All 163 of DARTs light rail vehicles have been converted and are now SLRVs. Before the 1983 election, DART had a plan for 160 miles of rail, after the election, the plan was pared down to 147 miles miles when Duncanville, Grand Prairie and Mesquite, which would have had rail lines, didnt opt to join the agency. DART chose light rail transit as its mode of rail transportation in 1984
5.
Gensler
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M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc. referred to as Gensler, is an American design and architecture firm headquartered in San Francisco. In 2015, Gensler generated $1.18 billion in revenue, as of 2015, it operated offices in 46 cities in 16 countries worldwide. Art and Drue Gensler, and their associate, James Follett and it is also involved in planning and urban design, brand strategy, environmental graphic design, mission-critical facilities, sustainable design consulting and other areas. As of 2015, the firm employed more than 5,000 people working in 46 offices in 16 countries, genslers newest offices is at the Custard Factory in Birmingham UK which was opened in 2016. Gensler was awarded the Architecture Firm Award in 2000 by the American Institute of Architects, in 2015, Gensler was awarded for their proposed London Underline project. Founder Art Gensler received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Design Futures Council in 2016, Arthur Gensler - AIACC Lifetime Achievement Award. Art Gensler proud of design, largest architect firm in world
6.
Balfour Beatty
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Balfour Beatty plc is a British multinational infrastructure group with capabilities in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments. A constituent of the FTSE250 Index, Balfour Beatty works for customers principally in the UK and the US, with developing businesses in Australia, Canada, Balfour Beatty is the largest construction contractor in the UK. Balfour Beatty was formed in 1909 with a capital of £50,000 – an exceptionally large sum for the time, George Balfour was elected to the House of Commons in 1918 and played a large part in the debates which established the National Grid. To service this new market, George Balfour, Andrew Beatty and others formed Power Securities to finance projects, Balfour Beatty was heavily involved in the development of Scotland’s hydro-electric power, building dams, transmission lines and power stations. Other work between the wars included the standardisation of the electricity supply in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and the construction of tunnels, by World War II, control of the firm had passed on, Andrew Beatty had died in 1934 and George Balfour died in 1941. Construction work was now dominated by the war effort and notable projects included blocking the approaches to Scapa Flow, peace saw a resumption of Balfour Beatty’s traditional work, power stations and railway work dominating at home. Overseas, a company was bought in Canada in 1953 and other work included the Mto Mtwara harbour in Tanganyika. In 1969 Power Securities, which by then owned Balfour Beatty, was taken over by cable manufacturer BICC, then in 2000 BICC, having sold its cable operations, renamed itself Balfour Beatty. Balfour Beatty moved away from its area of expertise in 1986 when it formed Balfour Beatty Homes. It also opened offices in Paisley and Leatherhead and in 1987 bought the Derbyshire firm of David M Adams to give it a production rate of 700 houses. Little more than a year before the market collapsed, through its parent BICC, Clarke Homes was bought for £51m. By the mid-1990s, sales were down to only 500 a year and although no figures were ever published. Balfour Beatty Homes was renamed Clarke Homes and then sold to Westbury in 1995, in 2008 the Company bought GMH Military Housing, a US-based military accommodation business, for £180m and Dean & Dyball, a leading UK regional contractor, for £45 million. As of January 2010, individual workers had started suing the company for being on the blacklist, in September 2009 the Company agreed to buy Parsons Brinckerhoff, a US-based project management firm, for $626 million. In June 2011 it went on to buy Howard S, in mid-2014, the company rebuffed three offers by rival Carillion for the two companies to merge. The last bid, which valued Balfour Beatty at £2.1 billion, was rejected by the Balfour Beatty board on 20 August 2014. Balfour refused to allow an extension of time for negotiations which could have prompted a fourth bid, Carillion subsequently announced it would no longer pursue a merger with its rival. The company sold Parsons Brinckerhoff to WSP Global for $1. 24bn in October 2014, support Services Installation, upgrade and maintenance of water, gas and electricity networks, rail renewals, street and public space management, operation and maintenance
