Dallas Cleans Up Well For Super Bowl XLV
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The city of Dallas may be miles away from Cowboys Stadium, but tens of thousands of people are still expected to crowd the city's hotels, restaurants and bars. So, how is the city preparing?
One way the city is preparing is putting up decorations, like massive Super Bowl sign near the convention center. There are also plans in place to make sure the city is safe, clean and full of entertainment possibilities.
The banners are up and the streets clean. Dallas is getting ready to play host.
At Christie's Sports Bar in uptown, manager Ashton Christie says almost of all of his tables and rooms have been reserved for weeks. "Now people from Pittsburgh and Green Bay are calling making sure they have a place to watch the game if they can't get to the game."
An estimated 100,000 visitors are expected in Dallas alone.
"All of the hotels, event and lodging are totally booked at this point and have been for a while," says John Crawford with Downtown Dallas Inc.
Crawford says Downtown Dallas Inc. is making sure the city looks good for all of the tourists. Its clean team is sweeping the sidewalks and streets.
And, a 45-person safety patrol will be on hand to guide visitors and work with law enforcement. "I think the people of Dallas are going to be surprised with the level of activity, the vibrancy that's going to occur w/ that many people."
Dallas police has already begun to deploy officers to step up security on the streets, around the major hotels, and entertainment districts.
"There will be an invisible layer of security people won't notice at all. It will be electronic, people in plain clothes, and under-cover officers," says police spokesman Lt C.L. Williams. "Security is something you shouldn't worry about. We'll worry about it."
So far, there is only one street closure in downtown. Olive Street around the Sheraton Hotel will be closed because that is where many members of the media are staying and they will need room for their transportation needs.
