Here are some items that have been piquing my interest of late:
1. A while back I read that Sprouts had pretty much committed to being one of the flagship anchors at the much anticipated but much delayed Lake Highlands Town Center (LHTC). What was slowing the process down was that LHTC was looking for a co-anchor, which was rumored to be a pet store chain. Well according to the Lake Highlands Advocate Magazine blog, Prescott Realty (the LHTC developer) says that they are "considering all alternatives to ensure the highest potential for a financeable project." Was anyone from Prescott Realty at the Exchange Club's Oktoberfest two weekends ago? That place was packed! The people of Lake Highlands are dying for development. Here's hoping the retail will finally get finalized so we can see some progress.
2. Ok, well some progress is coming to the LHTC on the residential front. It looks like construction could begin as early as November on the first 200 units of apartments as part of the mixed use development plan for LHTC. Apartments are great. But being able to walk out of those nice brand spanking new apartments to a grocer to pick up dinner, all without using a car would be even better! See images of the future apartments here.
3. Looks like some demolition will be coming soon to the shopping center at the corner of Audelia and Walnut Hill that was the former home of a Walmart Neighborhood Market. That shopping center will be the future site a residential sub-division. Home builders New Leaf, Highland Homes and Nobility Homes are the builders for the development. Lots are about 9,000 sqft with the average home price being $700,000.00 (yikes!). I've heard it will be a gated community and there will be a gate right at the end of Spring Branch which leads into White Rock Valley North. I think a gated community is the wrong way to go. Nothing says elitism like putting your homes behind gates and setting up a gate to keep out the folks from a neighboring subdivision. A subdivision that has a blue ribbon school (White Rock Elementary), well maintained homes, and lots of friendly neighbors. I hope the developer will reconsider that gate at the end of Spring Branch. If we want to get development into Lake Highlands the residents all need to band together, not further divide ourselves into little enclaves. I also hope there will be some modern construction since New Leaf is one of the builders. If it is all turrets, french chateaus and faux Spanish, maybe a gate would be a good idea after all.
Showing posts with label lake highlands town center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lake highlands town center. Show all posts
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Proposed changes to the Lake Highlands Town Center
The Architect and I live up the street and around the corner from the planned Lake Highlands Town Center. Right now there is the Lake Highlands DART station, streets, lights and landscaping, but no buildings. A large part of the delay has been attributed to the Great Recession, credit crunch and slow economic recovery.
I previously wrote about the LHTC here where I discussed the fact that Sprouts was in talks again with Prescott Realty as being the anchor grocer planned for the development.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) the City of Dallas is having a meeting about planned changes to the LHTC development. According to the Advocate Lake Highlands Back Talk blog there are 3 items to be discussed tomorrow: 1) proposed design changes from a City of Dallas hired consultant (Street Works), 2) Prescott Realty's update and recommendations to the Skillman TIF Board, and 3) a presentation by Concerned Lake Highlands Citizens proposing opposition to the changes.
The proposed design changes are a larger footprint for the proposed grocery anchor store. It has increased in size from 25,000 sqft to 56,000 sqft. The size change is in line with the size of Tom Thumbs around the area - like right up the street at Skillman and Abrams. Rumors have been circulating the Tom Thumb could be the anchor store at LHTC and it would close the store at Skillman/Abrams and Skillman/Royal. This would leave huge vacancies in an already increasingly vacant shopping center.
New to the scene are the Concerned Lake Highlands Citizens. Their concern is about another "big-box" grocery store competing with already existing businesses. They want LHTC to stay true to what the original design plan was - a mixed use development with multi-family and office users.
I can understand their concern. I want LHTC to be more "Mockingbird Station" in its design and less like the Timbercreek development at Skillman and Northwest Highway. It will have 3 big box stores - Walmart, Sam's Club and a free standing JC Penney. Ugh. I want to be able to walk down the street and go to a small grocer (Sprouts, Trader Joe's or similar) to pick up food or a bottle of wine. I also want more restaurant selection and availability. Go to Picasso's, Mi Cocina or Atomic Pie any night of the week and you will see there is a demand for these types of attractions.
You can read more specifics on the meeting and review the Street Works proposed design changes here.
I previously wrote about the LHTC here where I discussed the fact that Sprouts was in talks again with Prescott Realty as being the anchor grocer planned for the development.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) the City of Dallas is having a meeting about planned changes to the LHTC development. According to the Advocate Lake Highlands Back Talk blog there are 3 items to be discussed tomorrow: 1) proposed design changes from a City of Dallas hired consultant (Street Works), 2) Prescott Realty's update and recommendations to the Skillman TIF Board, and 3) a presentation by Concerned Lake Highlands Citizens proposing opposition to the changes.
The proposed design changes are a larger footprint for the proposed grocery anchor store. It has increased in size from 25,000 sqft to 56,000 sqft. The size change is in line with the size of Tom Thumbs around the area - like right up the street at Skillman and Abrams. Rumors have been circulating the Tom Thumb could be the anchor store at LHTC and it would close the store at Skillman/Abrams and Skillman/Royal. This would leave huge vacancies in an already increasingly vacant shopping center.
New to the scene are the Concerned Lake Highlands Citizens. Their concern is about another "big-box" grocery store competing with already existing businesses. They want LHTC to stay true to what the original design plan was - a mixed use development with multi-family and office users.
I can understand their concern. I want LHTC to be more "Mockingbird Station" in its design and less like the Timbercreek development at Skillman and Northwest Highway. It will have 3 big box stores - Walmart, Sam's Club and a free standing JC Penney. Ugh. I want to be able to walk down the street and go to a small grocer (Sprouts, Trader Joe's or similar) to pick up food or a bottle of wine. I also want more restaurant selection and availability. Go to Picasso's, Mi Cocina or Atomic Pie any night of the week and you will see there is a demand for these types of attractions.
You can read more specifics on the meeting and review the Street Works proposed design changes here.
Monday, April 18, 2011
What is going on with that Lake Highlands Town Center?
Last week Becky Range, Executive Director of the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District (PID) spoke to the Lake Highlands Junior Women's League about recent developments in the PID and what is happening to that broad swath of land at Walnut Hill and Skillman - i.e. the future Lake Highlands Town Center.
First, what is a PID? A PID is a special tax assessment agreement between the City and property owners within a specified district to fund public improvements beyond existing municipal services. A PID helps commercial property owners and involved residential owners maintain and revitalize public/common areas within the District.
The Lake Highlands PID has 3 goals: 1) address crime problems, 2) request city services, and 3) capital improvements.
As far as crime prevention, the PID hired additional security via off duty cops and crime dropped 26% in 2010. Most of the crime is centered in the apartment complexes located in the Lake Highlands area. The PID is attempting to come up with other ways to engage the apartment complex property owners to address the crime in their complexes.
Regarding capital improvements, the focus is on the Skillman corridor, particularly where it intersects with LBJ freeway. The PID is working with the Dallas AIA to come up with a redesign of that intersection. The PID is also working on landscape master plan.
But perhaps the most visible work of the PID is the Lake Highlands Town Center. I happen to live around the corner from the site. I watched with anticipation as the derelict apartments came down and was excited for what was in store. I wasn't too crazy about the architecture, but there was talk about a small grocer, shops, and more restaurants. If you have tried to go to Picasso's Pizza or Mi Cocina on a Friday night, you know how exciting a restaurant - any kind of restaurant would be.
Well thanks to the Great Recession and the credit crunch, all we have right now are some nice paved roads, street lights and stop lights around the unfinished town center. Oh and the DART rail station that sits out there on its own.
The news is that the property owners Prescott Realty are back to negotiating for an anchor grocery store. Originally, Prescott had been talking to Sprouts, but they couldn't get the financing. Prescott has invited Sprouts back to the table because the community has stated that this is a store we would like in the area. While it was not directly stated, I got the impression that if a deal couldn't be reached with Sprouts, the runner up could be Tom Thumb. If Tom Thumb were to go in, that would probably mean closure of 2 stores in the area. There was no information as to when building might begin. That appears to be contingent on financing. Sigh. So it looks like I'll be staring at roads and streetlights to nowhere for a bit longer.
First, what is a PID? A PID is a special tax assessment agreement between the City and property owners within a specified district to fund public improvements beyond existing municipal services. A PID helps commercial property owners and involved residential owners maintain and revitalize public/common areas within the District.
The Lake Highlands PID has 3 goals: 1) address crime problems, 2) request city services, and 3) capital improvements.
As far as crime prevention, the PID hired additional security via off duty cops and crime dropped 26% in 2010. Most of the crime is centered in the apartment complexes located in the Lake Highlands area. The PID is attempting to come up with other ways to engage the apartment complex property owners to address the crime in their complexes.
Regarding capital improvements, the focus is on the Skillman corridor, particularly where it intersects with LBJ freeway. The PID is working with the Dallas AIA to come up with a redesign of that intersection. The PID is also working on landscape master plan.
But perhaps the most visible work of the PID is the Lake Highlands Town Center. I happen to live around the corner from the site. I watched with anticipation as the derelict apartments came down and was excited for what was in store. I wasn't too crazy about the architecture, but there was talk about a small grocer, shops, and more restaurants. If you have tried to go to Picasso's Pizza or Mi Cocina on a Friday night, you know how exciting a restaurant - any kind of restaurant would be.
Well thanks to the Great Recession and the credit crunch, all we have right now are some nice paved roads, street lights and stop lights around the unfinished town center. Oh and the DART rail station that sits out there on its own.
The news is that the property owners Prescott Realty are back to negotiating for an anchor grocery store. Originally, Prescott had been talking to Sprouts, but they couldn't get the financing. Prescott has invited Sprouts back to the table because the community has stated that this is a store we would like in the area. While it was not directly stated, I got the impression that if a deal couldn't be reached with Sprouts, the runner up could be Tom Thumb. If Tom Thumb were to go in, that would probably mean closure of 2 stores in the area. There was no information as to when building might begin. That appears to be contingent on financing. Sigh. So it looks like I'll be staring at roads and streetlights to nowhere for a bit longer.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Lake Highlands Town Center on hold
I suspected that something was up since I hadn't seen much movement on the site in the last month or so. Now comes the official word that Phase 1 of the Lake Highlands Town Center won't be opening until 2012.
So what is the Lake Highlands Town Center? LHTC is supposed to be a mixed-use development similar to Mockingbird Station. The site is located at the corner of Walnut Hill and Skillman. Prescott Realty knocked down some unkempt apartments to make way for this future development. The developer has promised shops, upscale apartments/lofts, office space, and zero-lot line townhomes. Additionally there is promise of a DART station as well. You can view renderings of LHTC here.
What concerns me is that Prescott Realty has never disclosed who the anchor tenants are. Does that mean they don't have any lined up yet? Most people who live in Lake Highlands have expressed (me included) that they would like a supermarket along the lines of Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's; NOT a Walmart. The other things people want are restaurants - which is sorely lacking in Lake Highlands. Anyone who has tried to go to Mi Cocina or Picasso's on Saturday night knows what I am talking about. Prescott Realty has never disclosed whether anyone has signed a lease to set up shop in the development.
Another disconcerting thing is that Prescott Realty has said that they need $70 million in financing to begin Phase One construction - money they don't have at the moment. So, until they get the money, nothing is going to get built. While I was not a fan of the rundown housing that bordered my sub-division, I am also not enamored of having a huge swath of vacant land either. Now understand my issue with the old apartments was not that poor people lived there - my issue with it was that the owners of that housing did not maintain the apartments and they were clearly in disrepair. Now, we may end up with a large naked plot of land to stare at for the foreseeable future. A lot prime for a Wally-World type store. That just makes my inner Howard Roark go crazy.
Read the whole article about LHTC here.
Lake Highlands Town Center site here.
So what is the Lake Highlands Town Center? LHTC is supposed to be a mixed-use development similar to Mockingbird Station. The site is located at the corner of Walnut Hill and Skillman. Prescott Realty knocked down some unkempt apartments to make way for this future development. The developer has promised shops, upscale apartments/lofts, office space, and zero-lot line townhomes. Additionally there is promise of a DART station as well. You can view renderings of LHTC here.
What concerns me is that Prescott Realty has never disclosed who the anchor tenants are. Does that mean they don't have any lined up yet? Most people who live in Lake Highlands have expressed (me included) that they would like a supermarket along the lines of Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's; NOT a Walmart. The other things people want are restaurants - which is sorely lacking in Lake Highlands. Anyone who has tried to go to Mi Cocina or Picasso's on Saturday night knows what I am talking about. Prescott Realty has never disclosed whether anyone has signed a lease to set up shop in the development.
Another disconcerting thing is that Prescott Realty has said that they need $70 million in financing to begin Phase One construction - money they don't have at the moment. So, until they get the money, nothing is going to get built. While I was not a fan of the rundown housing that bordered my sub-division, I am also not enamored of having a huge swath of vacant land either. Now understand my issue with the old apartments was not that poor people lived there - my issue with it was that the owners of that housing did not maintain the apartments and they were clearly in disrepair. Now, we may end up with a large naked plot of land to stare at for the foreseeable future. A lot prime for a Wally-World type store. That just makes my inner Howard Roark go crazy.
Read the whole article about LHTC here.
Lake Highlands Town Center site here.
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