One year later, Valley View mall development still at standstill
DALLAS - New plans paint the picture of a high-end development to take the place of the all-but-dead Valley View mall in North Dallas.
The animated renderings show a park, high rise office tower, shops, restaurants, hotel, a movie theatre and upscale condos. But a year after one groundbreaking went nowhere, it's still unclear when the project will actually move forward.
Valley View mall sits on some prime real estate in between off LBJ Freeway and Preston Road. Yet because one person owns the Macy's land, another owns the Sears, and still another owns the rest of the mall, there has so far only been gridlock.
The animated renderings of what could be happening at the Valley View site are a stark contrast to the partially demolished mall that is there now.
Despite stalled efforts by one of the owners of the mall property, KDC is forging ahead with plans for their southeast corner of the property where Sears used to be.
The development known as Park Heritage in Midtown Dallas is being marketed as a place for people to live work and play.
Matt Bach is president of the North Dallas Neighborhood Alliance, which represents 50 North Dallas HOAs.
“We've seen businesses go to Frisco and other places north,” he said. “No reason it should not be here when this is so ideally situated.”
The alliance held a meeting after the original plans for Dallas Midtown were unveiled.
"Turning it into a showcase was very exciting,” Bach said. “And then nothing and nothing. It's been a frustration."
The plans were unveiled back in 2014 by Beck Ventures, the owner of the body of the mall. But after the ceremonial groundbreaking more than a year ago, the city of Dallas sent letters to two of the owners citing them for dozens of code violations. The city says the owners have since taken steps to secure the sites and bring the property up to code.
“There is a concern. Are we going to be sitting here in 2020 talking about the same issue? I don't think so,” Bach said. “I hope in 2020 we're talking about the great progress they're making. If not, we'll probably have a big crowd with pitch forks.”
Three of the owners of the properties did not respond to questions about any sort of a timeline for when this land will be developed.
The city says it is still in active discussion with two of the property owners and will take additional enforcement measures, when needed, to address continuing code violations.