Mockingbird Station

[John T Roberts]

All of these were taken at 2272 x 1704, but have been reduced in resolution. Troy, I know I still owe you the high resolution versions of these and I will get them to you.
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation5.jpg

The entrance to the Angelika Theatre:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation6.jpg

The top of the stairs and start of the waterfall:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation7.jpg

The old warehouse with lofts:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation8.jpg

Looking up from the bottom of the stairs:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation9.jpg

Ground level of the warehouse:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation10.jpg

Warehouse taken from Mockingbird Lane:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation11.jpg

View of two buildings within the development taken close to intersection of Mockingbird and Central:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation12.jpg

Shot of the infamous palm trees:
http://www.miduppertexas.com/dallas/mbstation13.jpg

[CTroyMathis]

John, once again...

those are outstanding photos! Thanks for sharing them here!

[John T Roberts]

Troy, you are welcome. Thanks for the comments.

[mdunlap1]

Those photos are fabulous. I've been wanting to see the latest from Mockingbird Station. Thank you very much.

[CTroyMathis]

They are great aren't they?!

That place just makes a stronger positive impression on me everytime I see it. And those photos are super.

[JSteffen]

Business chugging along at Mockingbird Station



09:48 PM CST on Sunday, January 23, 2005

By MICHAEL E. YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News

First came a zoning change and then a highway project and plans for a train.

And in that bit of unlikely convergence, a vision of the future arrived – a vibrant, even hip enclave of shops and loft apartments where a warehouse stood, a bit of Euro style on the Texas plains.

Planted between Dallas Area Rapid Transit's light-rail line and a newly expanded Central Expressway, Mockingbird Station bloomed, helping to transform a corner of Dallas that seemed to be sliding toward obscurity.

When developer Ken Hughes first considered the old Western Electric warehouse site at Central and Mockingbird Lane in 1996, the area around it was struggling, though with a glimmer of better times ahead.

The nearby Dr Pepper bottling plant was set for demolition, making way for the Phoenix Midtown, a 449-unit apartment complex. The former Hilton Hotel across Mockingbird Lane had been renamed the Hiltop Inn a few years earlier, its future uncertain. One possibility had it serving as a school and dormitory for people interested in transcendental meditation.

And at a shopping center up Mockingbird, businesses struggled as the long process of rebuilding Central Expressway made them a difficult destination.

"DART was in the completion stages, and the freeway was heavily under construction and not yet complete when we looked at the property," Mr. Hughes said. "It was a great time to buy real estate."

Despite the short-term problems, Mr. Hughes saw a location where a highway, a rail line and a major cross-town bus route met.

"In every other place in the world where I've observed that, it was a great place to build things," he said.

And since the city of Dallas had already rezoned the area for mixed use, with a generous building size to land ratio of 4-1, he could let his imagination run free.

"I'd been building out-of-the-box developments for a long time, but this represented a chance for some no-holds-barred thinking about planning," Mr. Hughes said.

"And what I saw was an opportunity to do an urban loft project that wasn't too hard-edged. No razor wire."

The resulting mix of shops, restaurants, 211 commuter-friendly loft apartments and a movie theater dedicated to independent releases found quick success and maintains it four years later.

Even during construction, Mockingbird Station created such a buzz that would-be tenants lined up to live there.

"I've been there since it opened," said resident Chris Milazzo. "In fact, I put in my deposit a year before it opened.

"I work at Southern Methodist University, so it put me very close to my job. And it put me at the DART station. And I knew the [Angelika] movie theater was going in there, and I was really interested in that."

Mr. Milazzo's neighbor, Sharon Stone, moved in about the same time.

"It'll be four years in March," she said. "So I'm definitely one of the pioneers. And I moved down from New York, so this was kind of the perfect segue to living in Dallas."

And unlike the more typical tenant, who might live in the lofts for a year or two, neither plans on leaving anytime soon.

"It's really been the perfect situation for me as far as location," Ms. Stone said. "I'm a freelance personal shopper and wardrobe stylist, and I need a good central location to serve my clients."

With the Knox-Henderson shopping district an easy drive south on Central, and NorthPark Center just as accessible to the north, and Highland Park Village off to the west, living at Mockingbird Station "kind of keeps me in the fashion mix."

"And we have a fabulous pool overlooking downtown, which makes a nice social gathering spot in the summer," Ms. Stone said.

The only way Mr. Milazzo would consider moving from his loft, with its towering ceilings and imposing columns, would be for a larger loft in the same building.

Has he found any downside to loft living?

"Well, sometimes it can be a bit noisy," Mr. Milazzo said. "I live in the old part of the warehouse, so I have old windows with single panes. And sometimes street musicians who come and play trumpet or bass or something set up near me, so I hear that."

Otherwise, he has few complaints.

He walks to the nearby Kroger supermarket for his groceries. He can pad off to one of the nearby restaurants in his slippers for a bit of takeout. The DART station sits just next door, and he'll ride that down to the Target at Cityplace, or up to the Walnut Hill station to shop at Best Buy. He takes the train downtown for Dallas Mavericks games or an evening in the West End.

"I'm sure I could get rid of my car and do just fine," Mr. Milazzo said.

Rail service is definitely part of Mockingbird Station's attraction, Mr. Hughes said.

"If you go into a parking garage at a place without a rail connection, typically it will be around 20 percent occupied during the day," he said. "Mockingbird's resident parking is generally 60 percent occupied, so we say people are using the train."

DART officials agreed. The Mockingbird light-rail station opened in January 1997, spokesman Morgan Lyons said, "but it really took off as a destination in 2000-2001" when the Phoenix Midtown and Mockingbird Station opened.

"Back then, residents could take the train south into downtown if they had jobs there," he said. "But with our extension in 2002, people can commute to Richardson, the Telecom Corridor or Plano or Garland and still live here."

The mostly young professionals who do live here found housing in the lofts at Mockingbird Station and the apartments at Phoenix Midtown that offered neighborhood amenities they want and a hip address at the same time.

Rentals aren't inexpensive – they range from $760 to more than $2,000 a month at the Phoenix and $1,115 for a small loft to $4,000 for a penthouse at Mockingbird Lofts. But both report occupancy rates greater than 90 percent and lower-than-average turnover.

"You can come here and never leave, with all the restaurants, Starbucks, the Angelika," said Chesney Wright, property manager at Mockingbird Lofts. "You live here, you stay here. It's a very friendly place. I call it 'my little Melrose Place.' "

When tenants do leave, it's usually to buy a house, often in the M Streets or Park Cities, she said.

"We don't lose a lot of business to other [rental] properties," Ms. Wright said.

But in the next year or so, the area will go even more upscale when developers complete renovations to the old Hilton Hotel, most recently called the Santa Fe, and add a 10-story townhouse-condominium tower.

The Santa Fe will be renamed the Hotel Palomar after $80 million in renovations. Kimpton Hotels, which specializes in luxury boutique inns in historic buildings, will operate the hotel, its first in Texas.

A wing that once housed the old Trader Vic's will be converted to high-end retail on the ground floor, with one- and two-bedroom lofts above.

A new tower just south of the hotel will become The Residences at the Palomar. A handful of townhouses will occupy the first two floors, complete with private gardens and full condominium services.

"I don't have final pricing on those," said Kyle Crews of Allie Beth Allman, which is handling residential sales, "but I do think they'll be under $1 million."

Sixty condominium apartments with just about every luxury amenity will occupy the upper eight stories, with prices running from about $400,000 to $1.5 million, Mr. Crews said.

"We've had tremendous interest in them so far," he said. "We have a waiting list of several dozen names, just from the announcement and by word of mouth."

Interest has been so strong, said Kip Sowden, managing partner of Realty America, that he expects to sell all of the condominiums before construction is complete in early summer 2006.

Though residents will probably be older on average than the typical renter at the Phoenix or Mockingbird Lofts, potential buyers cite many of the same attractions for their interest.

"Many have talked about walking across the street to the Angelika and the restaurants at Mockingbird Station," Mr. Crews said. "And proximity to DART has been attractive, more attractive than I thought.

"One woman in particular said she's eager to get on the train and go down to the Arts District and back without having to drive at night."

Adding a strong residential base to an area that wasn't really residential before has certainly helped area businesses but hasn't overwhelmed them.

"We're really looking forward [to the Palomar project] because we're predominantly a family place," said Tim Cole, manager of Campisi's Egyptian restaurant, a neighborhood landmark for more than 50 years.

"We get some business from the lofts and the Phoenix, but the young professionals go where young professionals go, and the SMU kids go where SMU kids go."

But the developments, particularly Mockingbird Station, offer a peek into the future for other neighborhoods built around DART light-rail stations, Dallas City Council member Veletta Forsythe Lill said.

"I think we're going to see more people tapping into transit-related developments," she said. "But so far, only a few in the center city have maximized their potential development.

"What you see at Mockingbird and Central could be the template."





Just FYI Ms. Stone is my best costomer.... LOL.... Anything for a little peblicity I guess... "kind of keeps me in the fashion mix." LOL

[gc]

Perhaps John T can update his photos for us one day...

[newyorkrunaway1]

^^^
for real

[texman]

I'm wondering why they wrote this article. Everyone knows that this place is sucessful and most people know or have heard about it. I mean, its not like DMN just randomly writes an article on West Village, describing it.

[rantanamo]

unless there has been significan change in the last 6 months, I'd bet 70-80% know nothing of Mockingbird Station, West Village, conversions DT, or the Uptown boom. More than that don't realize the TRP is underway, and will continue to be clueless about the bridges until the wires are being spun from the main arches. You'll see an article: "What's that big arch in the middle of the Trinity Floodplain?"

[texman]

unless there has been significan change in the last 6 months, I'd bet 70-80% know nothing of Mockingbird Station, West Village, conversions DT, or the Uptown boom. More than that don't realize the TRP is underway, and will continue to be clueless about the bridges until the wires are being spun from the main arches. You'll see an article: "What's that big arch in the middle of the Trinity Floodplain?"

Haha, I guess your right.

[Lakewooder]

Yes, the article seems like a retread to us, the enlightened. But I work at Greenville and University and there are quite a few suburbanites working here who have no clue what's going on a few blocks south! My boss, who's worked in this area since the late 1970s has no idea what Lakewood is. He called it "Lakeside or whatever" the other day. No, he wasn't being sarcastic!

[psukhu]

Don't forget that DFW gains ~150,000 people each year. With so many new people here, it makes sense to tell them about these things via DMN articles.

[US75Guy]

So....a hypothetical: What are the chances of DART selling the east parking lot between Mockingbird Station and the Phoenix apatments? It seems they would get pretty sizable coin for this property connecting to the train station and existing development, and the price will get higher as the scope of the Hotel Palomar across the street becomes clear. They would still have the north parking lot which sits half empty most work days anyway.

I know we all prefer to park in the east lot because of its proximity, but does anyone else think it is just a matter of time before DART cashes in their lottery ticket?

[Tnekster]

I am not sure they anticipated that these station locations would be a hot as they are. It would be cool to see them develop that land and take the Mockingbird Station concept over to the east side of the tracks as well. They would just need to accomodate the parking for commuters.

[Columbus Civil]

Does that lot usually fill to capacity on weekdays?

[texman]

They would just need to accomodate the parking for commuters.
I hope they go with a parking garage if they do sell the lot.

[US75Guy]

The east lot always fills up, but the north lot stays half empty through the day, and I think it could hold all of the everyday commuters. (though more motivational seminars would cause a problem) Everyone would just have to shlep from the north-forty I suppose.

With the visibility of that stretch continuing to skyrocket (Bush library across 75 perhaps?) , it just feels like a matter of time. And the right development might be a good thing.

[Lakewooder]

There is a lot property immediately to the north, such as the old UA Cine site, which could be used as parking. BTW, does anyone know what is going in at the nearby Shamburger Lumber site (Yale and Greenville) which was recently sold?

[Tnekster]

Cool, interesting Big Town proposal. I wonder if that one will get built.

[rantanamo]

it was rejected in December.

a.) Mesquite council people expressed not wanting additional rental properties built in Mesquite as they will hurt mid to long term property values.

b.) They felt the site would be better used as an office park.

c.) They won't admit it, but they already fear for Town East with Firewheel opening next holiday season. Another large shopping area in Mesquite would affect Town East as well.

[Tnekster]

An office park? I donno....but that area of town does not exactly strike me as a prime spot for additional office space.

[rantanamo]

That was my first thought. Mesquite is simply not that big on office space or attracting that type of clientele. Maybe if its nice enough it can. I dunno. Rowlett wants to do the same as does north Garland. I think the mixed-use would have been great. Great location for people that work downtown to live.

[Tnekster]

Yes, maybe if you can get some mixed use going first you can follow up with some office product. Give people a reason to WANT to go over to that part of town because as it stands right now I don't see much over there. Makes me think they passed on another good opportunity. Beyond that they should be worried about Firewheel since it will be such an attractive alternative to Town East.

[tamtagon]

Does anyone have an educated guess when Mockingbird Station development would expand be something like those sketches? Is everyone just holding out to see how well Palomar is received?

[hamiltonpl]

Europeans buy Mockingbird Station (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060205dnbusmockingbirdstation.1080559ad.html)
Location on rail line attracted attention, developer says
11:26 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 1, 2005
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

A European investment group has bought Dallas' popular Mockingbird Station retail, apartment and office complex.

Mockingbird Station has 211 apartments, along with shops, restaurants and about 140,000 square feet of office space. Mockingbird Station, which is east of Southern Methodist University on North Central Expressway, has won industry awards and attracted visitors from all over the world.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/v3/06-02-2005.NB_02mbird.GOK1JVMF8.1.jpg

And the same things that make the complex popular with local customers apparently drew foreign investors.

"It's been considered one of the foremost examples of a transit-oriented development in the country," said Mickey Ashmore, president of United Commercial Realty, which has been hired to lease and manage Mockingbird Station along with Capstar Commercial Real Estate Services.

"The new owners intend to market it properly, and long-term, it's got a lot of potential."

Real estate brokers say the buyers are represented by Real Estate Capital Partners, which has offices in New York and the Washington, D.C., area. The project was sold by Colorado-based Simpson Property Group – one of the original developers – and a Michigan pension fund.

Details of the transaction have not been announced, and the new owners and Real Estate Capital Partners could not be reached. The leasing companies both confirmed the sale.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/06-05/0602station.jpg

Real estate brokers say the buyers are represented by Real Estate Capital Partners, which has offices in New York and the Washington, D.C., area. The project was sold by Colorado-based Simpson Property Group – one of the original developers – and a Michigan pension fund.

Details of the transaction have not been announced, and the new owners and Real Estate Capital Partners could not be reached. The leasing companies both confirmed the sale.

When it was announced in 1997, Mockingbird Station was the first mixed-use development designed to take advantage of Dallas' fledgling mass transit system. Built around the Mockingbird light rail station, the complex opened in 2001 and was an instant hit.

Along with 211 loft apartments, the development includes an eight-screen Angelika cinema, a Virgin Entertainment superstore, shops, restaurants and about 140,000 square feet of office space. The deal includes a building site at the north end of the complex that is set up for a high-rise hotel or residential building.

"The office building is 68 percent leased, and the retail is above 85 percent leased," said Johnny Johnson, a principal with Capstar Commercial. "The new owners want to make it the destination location it was always intended to be."

Ken Hughes – Mockingbird Station's original developer – said he isn't surprised that project has attracted a buyer.

"Europeans tend to better understand mixed-use developments," said Mr. Hughes, who sold out of the project last year. "Clearly they understand much better than American investors the value of being on a transit station."

The area around Mockingbird Station is booming.

Across Mockingbird Lane, construction is under way on the $80 million Hotel Palomar and high-rise condominiums.

And on land north of Mockingbird Station, Prescott Realty Group is studying plans for a mixed-use development.

[Agnus Dei]

When I read that this morning, I was a little confused by one thing: Why would that one place draw "visitors from all over the world?" Do they mean it's become a popular destination for tourists already in Dallas? That line made me wonder if people were basing vacations around it or something --'cause that confused me. However, I'm interested to see in what plans they have for the place. I wonder how they intend to make it even more successful.

[Mballar]

^I don't know what they plan to do to make it better either, but whatever they do can't hurt. I agree that Mockingbird Station has yet to realize its full potential.

On a side note: With the increasing popularity of electronic files over DVDs and CDs, does anyone else here wonder how long the Virgin store in Mockingbird Station will last?

[CityLove]

On a side note: With the increasing popularity of electronic files over DVDs and CDs, does anyone else here wonder how long the Virgin store in Mockingbird Station will last?

I don't. There's still something very tactile about opening the package on a new CD, or buying that new DVD and popping it in for the first time. I still buy CDs and DVDs quite a bit.

TG2

[rantanamo]

file sharing is vastly overstated by the media and media industry.

[Agnus Dei]

^But his question wasn't really about file-sharing. At least not just that. Legal downloading is something to look at. Itunes and the like are exponentially growing --many people no longer buy physical albums or movies anymore. I think it will eventually cause a shift in the amount of record stores and who the big names are...but not really that soon. And even then I think Virgin, Tower, et al will have something else up their sleeves. The labels are the ones who need to be more worried --they're the ones that have a dismal future --and I'm not sad about that.

However, I'm a music geek who loves opening the CD and seeing the artwork, like TG2. One reason I prefer Tower over most other shops is the amount of vinyl. mmmmm. Big pictures! I think there are enough of us and older non-downloading people to keep stores around for a while.

I think before that happens, though, Netflix-like services have the potential to affect the physical video rental store.

[rantanamo]

I'd say illegal downloading is still bigger than legal. A lot of us who are self proclaimed as 'tech savvy' forget that most people simply have no clue about a lot of the online stuff. Even avid internet users and music fans. There may be a point in the future when this changes, but you still have a significant population out there that likes to keep it seperated. Plus, tactile experience is part of the urban lifestyle. I could see such places going away in the suburbs first for above mentioned reasons.

[texman]

Well its good Virgin is a diversified company with cell phones, air, rail...I don't think they have to worry about this.

[Agnus Dei]

I'd say illegal downloading is still bigger than legal. A lot of us who are self proclaimed as 'tech savvy' forget that most people simply have no clue about a lot of the online stuff. Even avid internet users and music fans. There may be a point in the future when this changes, but you still have a significant population out there that likes to keep it seperated. Plus, tactile experience is part of the urban lifestyle. I could see such places going away in the suburbs first for above mentioned reasons.

I agree that more people are downloading illegally. However,illegal downloading is largely used to sample albums and decide whether or not they'll ever be purchased (or just to steal some songs, too). It's not been proven to affect the music business (and in one case showed the opposite) to the degree that it's hurting currently. The disappearance of the commercial single is actually a big reason for that.

But legal downloading actually keeps people out of the stores while giving the labels their money. And I personally feel that the urban demographic will be the biggest proponent. Think about the iPod market. It's young people with disposable income using it in the gym, on the subway/trains and walking to work. These are people buying via iTunes. Not to mention the exclusive deals being given to digital music services that retail stores can't compete with. But I still think we're not going to see it happen in 5 years or anything that soon.

To get back to Mockingbird Station: I'd love to see it turn into those sketches up there. It could become a complete one-stop shopping destination. It's on its way, but there's much to be desired as well. Iin terms of eating, I'm pleased with it! However, the other day I went looking for clothes, and it didn't take long for me to run through all the stores suited for me. Not that I wanted to be there forever, but in terms of variety there wasn't much.

[msutton]

most music fans still buy cds. most movie fans still buy dvds. cds offer tangible content (case, design, lyric books, photos) that no download can. Yah you could download or print out a track list or group photos, but it's very very different. iTunes is still primarily used for downloading individual songs, not albums, and that's probably how it will evolve to stay.

and the ability to fully preview an album at virgin, then buy it right there, is also a phsycological bonus. i always tell myself I'll find what I want at virgin, then go buy the cd for cheap at best buy, but i've never acutally gotten that far. i always end up buying at virgin. it seems from my experience, so too do many other people.

[Fobulous]

all I see are red X's

[noelamador]

Mockingbird Station woos 'edgy' American Apparel
Sandra Zaragoza
Staff Writer

A Los Angeles edgy clothier, American Apparel, is weeks away from signing its first Dallas lease at Mockingbird Station.

The funky and socially conscious retailer had been shopping for a space in Dallas for some time and settled on the Mockingbird Station shopping center.

Mockingbird Station, which boasts an Urban Outfitters and Virgin Megastore, is in step with the company's target audience: Young urbanites. It will likely go into the former Cafe Patrique space and may open before the holiday season. American Apparel is also opening a store in Houston.

The retailer's ethical treatment of employees -- the company pays "decent" wages to workers and provides a safe work environment -- and its flamboyant founder, Dov Charney -- he exposed his bum for an advertisement -- has given it a cult-like status with its customers.

"It is the anti-Gap," said Ross Golman, of The Retail Connection, adding that the company's ideology is driving its popularity with customers.

In the garment industry, the company also stands out because it's a vertically integrated manufacturer, meaning it makes, distributes and sells its own clothing. Its manufacturing work force -- based in Los Angeles -- is paid upward of $7 an hour, well-above industry standards.

The store offers women's, men's and children's clothing such as T-shirts, pants and swimsuits.

Golman did not handle negotiations at Mockingbird Station, but is representing the company in the Dallas area. Plans call for two or three stores in the 3,000-square-foot range in the next few years, he said.

www.americanapparel.com

[Agnus Dei]

And I read about this in Quick:
http://www.quickdfw.com/poplife/stories/DN-pop-culture_27ick.ART.Dallas.Edition1.4ca6d289.html

Another Counter

08:31 AM CDT on Monday, June 27, 2005

Counter Culture has come out of its Deep Ellum closet.

[Click image for a larger version] Photos by JUAN GARCIA/DMN
JUAN GARCIA/DMN
At Counter Culture in Mockingbird Station, you'll have less of a hunt for one-of-a-kinds and more of a boutique experience.

Since 2000, retro fashion seekers have been Deep Throat-ish in divulging details about the Main Street store that sells vintage and old-school-inspired clothing.

So, Counter Culture opened a second store last month in Mockingbird Station with the hope of expanding its customer base.

"So many people come in and say, 'This is the best-kept secret in Dallas,' and we thought, 'Uh-oh, what are we doing wrong with our marketing?' " says Ricky Coburn, the store's 31-year-old founder. "We liked the idea, but we knew we weren't going to get by on that."

Mockingbird Station is known for attracting instant-luxury, Lucky magazine types, a shift from the traditional Counter Culture customer, who is more nostalgic and Rolling Stone.

"The Deep Ellum store is kind of our rock 'n' roll shop. And we'll keep it that way for customers who don't mind searching for that one-of-a-kind item," says Coburn, who lives in California. "But the Mockingbird Station store is for those who don't like the hunt. It's more boutique."

Think of it as the kind of spot that Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw would adore. Sarah Jessica Parker's character on the beloved HBO series has been credited with sparking an interest in vintage looks among those who once only shopped for the new and pristine.

"But we don't see it as a trend," says manager Greg Wolfson. "We see it as a way of life, the way our customers have always dressed and always will."

Both stores will carry what Counter Culture is known for: vintage wares, such as Levi's dating to the 1940s; its own vintage-reconstructed line called Particles (think old T's sewn onto pearl-snap button-downs); and new lines designed with "a vintage mentality."

The Mockingbird store will carry a higher percentage of new lines.

Lori Price

NAME-DROPPERS

Store managers say well-known folks have sifted through the stores' racks of old wares (right), including:

• Acting brothers Luke and Owen Wilson

• Singer Kevin Kirkwood of the Vanished

• Born Again Furniture and Accessories designer

David Goltl

• Actor Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle)

• Poet/rapper/actor Saul Williams

WHERE TO GO

Check out

Counter Culture

at:

• 2707 Main St. in Deep Ellum, 214-698-0117

• 5331 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 110, in Mockingbird Station, 214-414-1095

• On the Web at ccvintage.com

[Texan#1]

took these 2 a couple of days ago

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b25/texasplayer04/ac74fa5d.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b25/texasplayer04/04a8efa1.jpg

[tamtagon]

11:26 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 1, 2005
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

A European investment group has bought Dallas' popular Mockingbird Station retail, apartment and office complex.

"The new owners intend to market it properly, and long-term, it's got a lot of potential."

The deal includes a building site at the north end of the complex that is set up for a high-rise hotel or residential building.

"The new owners want to make it the destination location it was always intended to be."

Across Mockingbird Lane, construction is under way on the $80 million Hotel Palomar and high-rise condominiums.

And on land north of Mockingbird Station, Prescott Realty Group is studying plans for a mixed-use development.

Anyone have an idea when the new European owners or Prescott Realty will start new construction?

[rantanamo]

I wonder if what they plan on building is what is illustrated on the study we found.

[carousel]

it looks like construction has started on a parking garage for 6060 north central expressway. i bet this means a new building in the not so distant future.

[Lakewooder]

Garage is going up fast now...

[drumguy8800]

What's the garage for .. ?

[Lakewooder]

I'm not sure it is a garage, but if someone wants to take a look-see, it's behind the old UA Cine Theater...

[Mephis Gooseberry]

Access for Mockingbird Station could upgrade
Dallas: SMU, business, UP uniting



06:38 AM CST on Thursday, February 2, 2006
By KRISTEN HOLLAND / The Dallas Morning News


In the near future, SMU students may be able to cross Central Expressway without stepping foot on Mockingbird Lane or Yale/SMU Boulevard.

A walkway connecting Southern Methodist University to Mockingbird Station is part of a proposal aimed at increasing rail use and redeveloping more than 20 acres northeast of the mixed-use development.

The area is already home to an eclectic group of uses.

Occupants range from restaurants and bars to office buildings and a municipal service center. A vacant movie theater, several dilapidated parking lots and an empty lumberyard also dot the landscape.

The proposal includes urban townhouses and a four-story, mixed-use development with retail and multifamily buildings. Additional landscaping and a second multifamily development are also envisioned, according to a grant request submitted recently to the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Southern Methodist University, University Park and Prescott Realty Group submitted the proposal as part of a $6.5 million request to improve pedestrian access to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail station and enhance the area's landscaping.

"It's an 80-20 match, which means that Prescott and the university would have to find the 20 percent if we're lucky enough to get the grant," said Leon Bennett, SMU's vice president for legal affairs and governmental relations. Twenty percent amounts to about $1.3 million.

University Park's city manager, Bob Livingston, said the city has no financial incentive in the deal. Tax revenues generated from improvements will go to Dallas because that's where the proposed redevelopment is located.

City leaders agreed to sponsor the application in part because SMU needed a public partner. "One of the reasons the city is here is because of the university," Mr. Livingston said.

In addition, University Park's auxiliary service center is within the proposal's boundaries, at 4419 Worcola St.

"We have about 150 people that go to work over there every day," Mr. Livingston said. "Anything that can be done to improve our pedestrian access to and from the DART rail station is something to want to try."

Though some may see SMU's push to redevelop the land as a ploy to strengthen its standing as a finalist for the George W. Bush presidential library, university representatives say that's not the case.

"This has to do with our interest in the properties that we've acquired across [U.S. Highway] 75," Mr. Bennett said.

Mr. Bennett said the university owns the vacant movie theater, Jack's Pub and Expressway Towers on the east side of Central Expressway. "We have under contract two other properties," he added.

Jud Pankey, Prescott's president, didn't return phone calls about the project his company is heading up with SMU.

The University Park-SMU-Prescott Realty Group trio isn't the only partnership vying for grant money to redevelop property around Mockingbird Station. Prescott and SMU submitted a similar application with the city of Dallas as its public sponsor.

And Dallas apartment builder First Worthing Corp. submitted a request for $5 million to build a 10.3-acre mixed-use development on parking lots next to the DART station. That plan involves leasing 6.3 acres from DART to build a central public plaza along with retail and residential buildings.

Alicia Hopkins, a senior transportation planner for the council of governments, said the competition for the $40 million available for sustainable development projects is much stiffer than in 2001, the last time the group had grant money for similar projects.

In 2001, the group used its $40 million to fund 21 of the 54 projects that requested funding. "This time, we have 136 applications for a total of $273 million," she said.

E-mail kholland@dallasnews.com

[tamtagon]

^Cool!

[Insidetheloop]

Consider the plot for Bush library officially thickened!

[tamtagon]

Consider the plot for Bush library officially thickened!

:cheers:

[Lionel Hutz]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/02-06/0202mbs.jpg