Downtown Dallas loses its star to Denver

The CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., who has overseen the city center's boom, is heading to Denver. Kourtny Garrett will become CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership in January.

• Garrett has worked for the Dallas nonprofit for two decades and as CEO since 2016.
• Downtown development is guided by the nonprofit's 360 Plan, which has been endorsed by the City Council.

Why it matters: Garrett is leaving at the end of an era of massive downtown revitalization. During her tenure, the city's center has flourished and is now home to about 13,000 people.

• In the late 1990s, there were only a couple hundred residents and 40 vacant buildings downtown.
• Now the area boasts around 4,000 employers, including AT&T, which built the $100 million AT&T Discovery District.

The intrigue: The original 360 Plan that was created a decade ago called for the Dallas Union Station to be developed similar to Denver's Union Station, which is both a transportation hub and a mixed-use development.

• "Regardless of whether it ends up being a transportation hub or not, that whole southwestern part of downtown is the next to pop," Garrett told Axios Dallas.

What's next: Downtown Dallas Inc. will begin a national search for Garrett's replacement.