Spotlight On: Steve Babick, Mayor, City of Carrollton
October 2024 — Invest: spoke with Carrollton Mayor Steve Babick about the city’s strategic growth initiatives, including infrastructure investments, business-friendly policies, and the expansion of transit and recreational opportunities, emphasizing Carrollton’s vision as a prime location for families, businesses, and investors.
What have been the highlights for the city over the past year?
Carrollton continues to transform itself. I believe I’ve mentioned before that we are in the middle of a renaissance. While Arlington used to be considered the center of the DFW area, Carrollton now holds that position geographically. With the introduction of the Green Line and the Silver Line by DART, Carrollton is placed right at the heart of the DFW metroplex. The investments we’ve made, such as the Trinity Mills Station and in our historic downtown, alongside developments at George Bush Turnpike and the tollway, have resulted in multiple billions of dollars in development. Now is the perfect time to inform readers and investors about what’s happening in Carrollton.
What makes Carrollton stand out as a unique city in Texas and the best place to live, work, and play?
Our vision, which has been shaped by the Carrollton City Council over the years, is to create a community that both families and businesses want to call home. We take those words seriously. What makes you want to call a place home? The Acronym HOME, where it’s about creating a welcoming and hospitable safe environment – H. The “O” is for Optimal application of resources to ensure a positive customer experience and value based delivery. We are business-friendly, and we pride ourselves on being an international city. Carrollton boasts the largest Korean and Asian population base outside of the Los Angeles area, and they’ve made this city their home both in terms of business and residence.
For 11 consecutive years, we’ve reduced our tax rate. We are the only bedroom community in the metroplex that has managed to do this for that length of time, which is something we take very seriously. We know that to foster a thriving local economy, lowering taxes is crucial. It stimulates growth, and sales tax plays a significant role in our economic engine. Additionally, our employees are an essential part of this success. When we say “home,” the “M” represents “motivated” — attracting and retaining a qualified, driven team. It’s all built on solid fiscal and economic policies — the “E” stands for “economical.” These are values that our council has embraced, and they’re driving a thriving local economy right now.
What industries are driving growth in Carrollton, and what initiatives are you leading to continue building on that economic momentum?
Our local economy is quite diverse. We have a healthy manufacturing base that continues to perform well, serving as a bedrock for our economy. However, the biggest driver is logistics. The Amazon.com economy has centered itself around our Valwood district, which serves as a major distribution hub in North Texas. With easy access to rail and air transport via DFW and proximity to Amazon and other dotcom providers, Valwood feeds not only Carrollton but the entire northern metroplex.
Retail is also thriving. We’ve seen growth in our retail tax base, bolstered by businesses like H Mart and 99 Ranch Market. These shopping centers, with their strong Korean and Asian influence, are bustling on weekends.
What other major investments or business relocations can the city expect in the near term?
Carrollton’s billion-dollar development at Trinity Mills Station is a “live, work, and play” environment, featuring 1 million square feet of office space and mixed-use multifamily areas. It includes an esplanade twice the size of Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. Trinity Mills is right off the rail, just a stop away from DFW Airport on the Silver Line. Convenience and accessibility are major factors as we continue to attract Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies to Carrollton.
Across the interstate, we’re working on a 100-acre parcel, referred to as the NTA property. We’re conducting a land study to determine how much of it should be developed versus how much should remain green space, as our residents value both office space and recreational areas.
Can you elaborate on the strength of the city’s transit lines and the development plans around them?
Transit is key to our growth. The DFW area is projected to grow from 8 million to 15 million people over the next 25 years, which will require both urban sprawl and vertical development. Carrollton is at the crossroads of the Green Line, which runs north and south from Denton to Dallas, and the Silver Line, which connects Richardson to DFW Airport. A century ago, Carrollton was founded at the intersection of three rail systems, connecting the East Coast to the West. Today, a similar convergence of rail lines is driving growth, particularly in our downtown district, the Trinity Mills Station area, and the NTA property.
What strategies has your administration implemented to support smaller businesses, as well as larger, logistics-focused enterprises?
It’s crucial to have the right tools in your tool chest. We maintain connections with the governor’s office to leverage the Governor’s Enterprise Fund, which helps attract businesses from California, the Northeast, and the Midwest. These businesses relocate to Texas due to our business-friendly policies at the state level, and Carrollton is attractive due to its local tax incentives, rebates, and job creation incentives. We’ve brought in logistics companies and high-tech firms, particularly in fields related to defense and cyber technologies. Carrollton is becoming part of the digital frontier right here in the DFW area.
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