SCHMOOZE 2.0

Listen closely and you'll hear the ink drying on contracts across the Metroplex. And we'd like to think that's a direct result of another sound: the wine pouring as you schmoozed at the Bisnow Power Networking event on Wednesday at BlackFinn in Addison.

As reps of the host city for the event, Addison Mayor Pro Tem Kimberly Lay (also of Hudson Peters) and director of economic development Orlando Campos were all smiles and orange ties. The Town of Addison (an event sponsor) began construction this month to update and revitalize landscaping and lighting  along Belt Line Road. (Clean up the garden and make sure people can see it— bulletproof logic.) The $1.4M project includes new energy efficient lights and green (both in color and sustainability) landscaping. Construction should be completed by early next year. Orlando says the idea is to make both visual and environmental improvements to Addison?s main thoroughfare with 136 new fixtures on 76 poles, which are being fabricated with a large radius bend to offer a unique look for the corridor.

So far this summer, event sponsor Eagle Landscaping partnered with The MGHerring Group on its 77-acre lifestyle shopping center and has added Uptown Village at Cedar Hill and Billingsley Co's newly acquired 19-acre site in North Dallas, says Eagle?s John Wingfield, here with Cameron Selby and Eric Bonilla. We missed Julie McBrayer (clearly taking advantage of valuable schmooze time).

We caught up with the Hard Rock?s Mena Brizuela and Amy Jacobs. Amy tells us the legendary restaurant marked its second anniversary just a few weeks ago in its new location in Victory Park. Featured memorabilia at this Hard Rock: Stevie Ray Vaughan?s snakeskin boots, Buddy Holly?s red suede shoes, and a black jacket that belonged to Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith. (Any interest inBisnow's tight leather pants?)

Here's Thornton Tomasetti's Pat Coleman surrounded by the great guys from event sponsor Hill & Wilkinson: John Riggins, Mike Oswald and Travis Noble. Pat was the structural engineer on the 100k SF Denbury Resources campus that Hill & Wilkinson completed in '07. John says the firm just landed a Fortune 500 company's 87k SF tiltwall multipurpose building in a tightly occupied campus in the Legacy area.

BIO?s Sam Evans, surrounded by PSI's  Alexis Semach and Monica Rickey, tells us his firm marked its one-year anniversary in the DFW market as a landscape maintenance service provider. Sam says he's working with some property management companies to develop a balance of multifamily, commercial, and industrial business. The firm has been in business in Houston for 29 years. (Make sure to get them something with pearl for next year.) Alexis says she is currently providing geotechnical evaluations and recommendations for foundations, pavement, and retaining wall construction around Texas.

Here's Allegiant?s Julie Rigali and Jason Bach, the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce?s Phyllis Gogue, and The Colony EDC's Cindi Lane. Cindi tells us Williams-Sonoma is locating its Texas call center in The Cascades at The Colony, a 100-acre development along SH 121. Phyllis tells us Killeen wants to attract manufacturing, logistics, office, and retail industries because of the skilled labor force there with the 1,800 (or so) soldiers  that enter the civilian workforce each year.

We snapped Callis? David Cassidy (we resisted the urge to break into ?I Think I Love You?), Cassidy Turley's Robert Powell, and Grubb & Ellis? Linda Simpson. Robert tells us he was networking with brokers and Addison companies for the firm's three Quorum buildings that they lease for TriGate Capital. Linda tells us she has a deal under contract in Arlington but can't give us the deets just yet. On the fun side, she's escaping the 105-degree temps for some beach fun with her family in Destin later this week.