Chamber board Chair Brad Grist said it was encouraging to see the East Dallas business community adapting to the "new normal" following two years of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're seeing an uptick in businesses moving to East Dallas," Grist said. "And a lot of that is due to them realizing that people want to work where they live and support local businesses."
Grist also recognized the chamber's newly elected executive board for 2023, which includes new Chairman Karen Hattrick and new Vice Chair I Chuck Kobdish.
Micciche spoke about DISD's work to implement its $3.5 billion bond package and to improve its services for the district's more than 140,000 students who are economically disadvantaged.
"We're committed to ensuring that every child who goes through our school system comes out with middle-class opportunities," Micciche said.
Blackmon, McGough and Ridley spoke about ongoing and upcoming projects in each of their districts.
McGough also talked about the work being done to update citywide comprehensive land use plan forwardDallas!, which was implemented in 2006.
"All of our zoning and land use will go through the lens of what forwardDallas! is," he said. "We need to be forward looking ... and start really looking at our entire city. ... As we've advanced with planning and urban design concepts, we need to advance with the city of Dallas' plan."
The city is in the community engagement portion of its process to update the plan with the expectation that the process will be wrapped up by next summer, McGough said.
"Now is the time to engage," he said. "Don't don't sit back and wait on this happen. It will impact all of our neighborhoods moving forward."
The council members also discussed the Nov. 8 special election regarding a proposed expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
"When we do rebuild our convention center, we're actually going to put real estate back on the tax rolls," Blackmon said. "It's going to be developable land that is committed to the affordable housing component. It's a, you know, Fair Park win; it is a convention win; and it allows an opportunity to bring real estate back on the tax rolls to be developed."
Stewart talked about the first 10 years of her footwear business Hari Mari, which opened its first retail store on Knox Street in Dallas in May of last year, and the company's dedication to helping children and families battle pediatric cancer.
"We're big believers in giving back," Stewart said. "We donate a percentage of sales to kids who are battling pediatric cancer here in the United States. We call it ‘flops fighting cancer,’ which is something that makes selling flip-flops a whole lot more meaningful. And we're really thankful that we have the ability to do it."
