Valley View mall demolition complete, redevelopment plans include 20-acre park
DALLAS - The developer is finalizing the plan for long-awaited, new construction at the site of what was once the Valley View Mall in North Dallas.
After years of problems and delays, the demolition of the old mall near the LBJ Freeway and Preston Road is done.
The developer is ready to introduce the first phase of what will be known as Dallas Midtown.
"Because of the fact this mall has come down, we have an opportunity to rebuild and create more of a community," said Scott Beck, the CEO of Beck Ventures.
Beck Ventures CEO Scott Beck said the first build will be a nearly 250,000-square-foot mixed-use project with six-story luxury apartments, amenities, and ground-floor retail.
The grand vision for the project includes offices, restaurants, shops a hotel and a public park considerably larger than Klyde Warren Park in Downtown Dallas.
"As you can see here today, there's 22,000 parking spaces that's in a non-permeable asphalt the idea is to make that much more green," said Beck. "Part of the city's plan, part of our plan, is to create the Dallas Midtown Park, which is a 20-acre park that would extend from the property over here all the way to the Galleria."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Demolition of Sears building begins at Valley View Mall
- Dispute over Valley View Center demolition may be over
- One year later, Valley View mall development still at standstill
- Why hasn't Valley View Mall been redeveloped yet?
- 2 Dallas firefighters injured battling fire at abandoned Valley View Mall
- Fire crews again put out fire at old Valley View Mall in Dallas
- Valley View Center's final demolition underway following criminal activity, fires
The new development has been in the works for more than a decade. But it’s seen quite a few hurdles over the years.
There have been infrastructure issues and red tape. Beck and the city could not come to an agreement on the plan.
In that time, the former Valley View Mall became an eyesore.
"It does feel great to finally have the project take shape. Because as I mentioned, it's really been a long haul. Because not only do you need the zoning for projects like this, you need the sanitary, the sewer, the water, the electric. And ultimately you need to tear down the building," Beck said. "It's a bittersweet moment to see the mall come down and I'm really energized and excited to see what's to come for the city of Dallas."
The city gave Beck until June to demolish the structure after two recent fires on the property. The most recent in March injured two firefighters.
2 Dallas firefighters injured battling fire at abandoned Valley View Mall
Two Dallas firefighters were injured battling a fire at the old Valley View Center on Preston Road in Dallas.
The city also required him to provide 24-hour security to prevent more vandalism and trespassing.
Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz is working to temper expectations about a timetable.
"This will take decades, but this is a first important step," she said.
As for those who wonder if they will ever see the developments over the concrete there now.
"I hope to prove them wrong," Schultz said.
Beck said he hopes for the permitting process for the mixed-use upscale apartment buildings to take 90 to 120 days. But he did add that he is not sure yet if the Dallas ransomware attack will cause any delays to that part of the process.
The first phase of construction is expected to take about 30 months to complete.