Excellent spot for Mockingbird Station like development

[Bloodandpopcorn]

I don't know how many of you know the area around the Park Lane DART station well, but it seems to me it is perfectly suited to be developed into development like that at Mockingbird station, if not even more. Right by the station is the UA Plaza - a movie complex that still sees decent to good crowds that is located on the second floor of hte plaza, and a lot of retail space underneath that has no tennants. Around his is a Bed Bath and Beyond, Jumbo Super buffet, tons of ground level parking (which needs to be torn up and developed into residential/retail) and a strip mall. Also near are a gigantic Best Buy, CompUSA, and Office Max (or is it Office Depot?). UA plaza is literally a half block or less from the station, and there is a huge parking lot, not owned by DART, for Jumbo Super buffet and Bed, Bath and Beyond. on the other side of UA plaza is massive ammounts of ground level parking. How can we get a developer in here? Park Lane station has the potential to develop well. Two movie theaters near it (in addition to UA Plaza AMC Glen Lakes can't be more than three blocks from the station), North Park very near, and it's right next to 75. Does anybody else see this as a golden property? Or does anyone know who to contact to see if they can make this spot live up to its potential?

[MustangMonkey]

I agree this area has allot going for it; with the proposed NorthPark expansion it will be the largest mall in the Dallas area. The only thing going against it is the reputation of 5 Points to the East, but I don't see that as ahinderence to development. Meanwhile, development will help 5 points return as a nice urban invironment all its own.

[Bloodandpopcorn]

So who should be contacted, and what would be the best way? And does anyone know of a website or any kind of source detailign progress in Northpark's expansion?

[MustangMonkey]

I don't know who you could contact; it is privatly owned by the Nasher Family.

Here is some info I found in a fast Google search.

Nashers' NorthPark still centered on the community (http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/current/sct9810/18.htm)

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Nashers' NorthPark still centered on the community
By Debra Hazel
Much is expected to change at NorthPark Center in Dallas, founded by Raymond D. Nasher and now run by his daughter Nancy and her husband David Haemisegger.

The 1.6 million-square-foot mall is planning an expansion that will bring it to well over 2 million square feet.

But another thing has not and will not change -- the mall continues to be dedicated to being the center of its community, she said, including both cultural and charitable events.

"We have a harpist, a flutist, a string quartet. We have a train whose profits we donate to children's causes," said Ms. Nasher, president of NorthPark Development Co. and vice president of North Park Management Co.

Mr. Haemisegger is president of the management company.

A children's puppet show and other child-related activities are joined by car shows and other events.

"The activity is constant," Ms. Nasher said.

A month of 100-degree days this summer drove people to the mall looking for air-conditioned activity.

"We've had a wonderful summer. Our sales are up due to the heat," she said.

The mall opened in 1965, anchored by JC Penney and Neiman Marcus.

Dillard's and Lord & Taylor have since joined the mall. Another anchor of a sort has been the rotating sculptures from the Nasher family's personal collection, which they have sprinkled throughout the mall.

The center is even more physically linked to Dallas than ever before. In a partnership with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system, a trolley stop has been located across the street from NorthPark Center.

"We're the first official shopping center for the DART. The line ends at our center, and the trolley runs constantly every 10 minutes," Ms. Nasher said.

The service began about nine months ago, originally as a bus, then was replaced by the air conditioned trolley in August.

"It brings people who work downtown to the center, so they can come for lunch," she said.

The mall is increasing its food offerings, as well. P.F. Chang's China Bistro opened a 6,500-square-foot restaurant last month, and the first Maggiano's Corner Bakery in Texas will open at the mall.

NorthPark's status as a family-run center has helped it connect with the community, and get the DART linkup.

"We live here, we work here. We have staff that has been here for 25 years," Ms. Nasher said.

The mall is in the center of one of the most affluent areas in the nation, seven minutes from downtown Dallas. The current population of 653,000 in the mall's trade area has an average household income of $65,000. By 2001, the area should have 685,000 people with an average household income of $71,800.

The center boasts the best-performing Neiman Marcus in the nation, Ms. Nasher said, and many retailers have located their first stores in the city, and even the state, in the center. BCBG, Bally of Switzerland, Crate & Barrel, Warner Bros. Studio Stores and World Foot Locker all made their Texas debuts at NorthPark.

But the most exciting era for NorthPark may be yet to come. The project is planning a massive expansion that will bring it to more than 2.4 million square feet over the next three years. Nordstrom and Foley's will join the center, and Lord & Taylor will move into an expanded facility. In addition, 250,000 square feet of new small shop space will be added.

The expansion is planned over the next three to four years, Ms. Nasher said.

Being a single-unit owner did not impede financing or leasing the center.

"We've had lenders we've worked with for years," and the same is true of tenants, she said.

Ms. Nasher speaks of her customers as families as well.

"The center is 33 years old. We're the third generation [of shoppers] now," she said. "We're constantly running community-oriented events, such as Race for the Cure. That is very important to us -- NorthPark gives more than $100,000 to that race."

The 92-acre property is zoned for up to 4 million square feet, Ms. Nasher said, so more expansion could take place. In keeping with the mall's dedication to the arts, a sculpture garden is planned.

Ms. Nasher, who was five years old when her father began work on the mall and 10 when it opened (she handed out flyers to shoppers on opening day), acknowledged that she has had offers for NorthPark, but none have been considered.

"It's our life," she said.

October 1, 1998

[MustangMonkey]

There has been some more news on this in the past few weeks in the DMN, so you can try and look there, but I don't think you will find any renderings, just explanations of the expansion.

[jsoto3]

my friend did his architecture/urban design thesis (texas tech) at park lane. came up with some nice ideas. the centerpiece was a mercado at the light rail station. he hasn't set up a website yet, but he has put together an html presentation to send out to prospective employers. if you email him and ask nicely, maybe he will email you a copy. his name is jeremy hahn. his email is jeremy.hahn@sblarchitects.com . just explain how you heard about it. my name is jorge soto. i'll give him a call and give him a heads up. i know this is not exactly helpful in terms of what might actually happen, but it is interesting to consider.

[sundancing away]

proud to say that i am third generation northpark shopper wooo. A reliable NorthPark source also told me that it's going to be the home of the new Banana Republic anchor store for the Metroplex and an ampitheater and movie theater (a revision of the old one but bigger) are soon to come. The ampitheater I'm assuming would be in the current back area parking for stores like Brooks Brothers, Talbots, etc. I can't wait to see what's next for one of the best ranked malls in the WORLD (or so I have heard...I mean it IS Dallas, which is third to New York and Beverly Hills for fashion, etc.)

[yellowshoes2000]

I think that a development like Mockingbird would compete with the Northpark Shopping Center, but I do think that Park Lane could be a good destination like mockingbird. It could be developed just as densely but I think It needs to be oriented toward a more diverse crowd than either Northpark or Mockingbird.