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Yet another fire breaks out at old Valley View Mall
What's left of the old Valley View Mall in North Dallas is slowly being demolished. The process has dragged on for years. And in recent months, several fires have contributed.
DALLAS - Firefighters spent hours Friday night putting out several small fires at the old Valley View Mall in Dallas.
The first call went out just after 11 p.m.
The mall is being demolished and barricades made it difficult for firefighters to access the structure.
They also struggled to find fire hydrants.
Aerial water ladder trucks were eventually used to put out the fire. The fire was declared extinguished at 1:56 a.m., but crews stayed on scene until 3:30 a.m. to monitor.
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.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Valley View Center's final demolition underway following criminal activity, fires
- 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?
No one was hurt.
The cause is under investigation. Dallas police detained several juveniles seen leaving the area, but it was found they arrived after the fire had already started.
This fire at Valley View Mall is the third fire there in recent months. The mall is being demolished to clear for new development, but there’s an ongoing battle between city of Dallas and the property owner.
"This is a simple problem," Dallas City Councilwoman for District 11 Jaynie Schultz said.
"This is the hand that we’re dealt by the politicians," said Scott Beck, CEO of Beck Ventures.
It’s been about a year since a tenant was at the mall.
In February, after multiple instances of reported criminal mischief, the city sent the property owner a letter labeling it a "habitual criminal property." The penalty was a $949 monthly fee and demands.
"There must be 24-hour security, there must be lighting, there must be fencing," Schultz explained.
The property owner, who’s appealing the action, believes it’s premature.
"And since the Valley View Mall won’t even be there in a couple months, it really has rendered itself a moot point," Beck said.
It’s unclear once demolition is done, what will happen next with the planned multi-billion dollar redevelopment, with offices, restaurants, a park, and apartments, and when the long delayed project might be complete.
"I’m extremely frustrated by this, because there are billions of dollars in tax value available here," Schultz added.
The developer said he has not had help from the city for infrastructure outside the property.
"When I asked that question of Jaynie Schultz to help, she made very clear that there a quid pro quo and that we would not be receiving any help whatsoever from her or the city of Dallas, at her discretion, unless we put affordable housing on the Dallas Midtown Property," Beck said. "We do not want to see that on this property, we want to see a very high-class development."
"Because of the extreme housing shortage in our city, we need workforce housing," Schultz said.
The city said demolition must be done by June, or the property owner could face a lawsuit.
The property owner said they’re only three weeks in to nearly five months of demolition, which has been complicated by asbestos abatement.
"We’re going to build a world class development on this property. We are not going to put the low-income housing on the property," Beck said.
"He can build any time he wants with anything that he wants to build within the zoning. He just won’t get our taxpayers to help him pay for it," Schultz said.