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Valley View Center is a former
mall Mall commonly refers to a: * Shopping mall * Strip mall * Pedestrian street * Esplanade Mall or MALL may also refer to: Places Shopping complexes * The Mall (Sofia) (Tsarigradsko Mall), Sofia, Bulgaria * The Mall, Patna, Patna, Bihar, India ...
located at Interstate 635 and Preston Road in
north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, U.S. It is owned and managed by Dallas-based Beck Ventures. The mall was formerly home to anchor stores that were once
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
,
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
,
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
, and Dillard's. The demolition of the mall was completed in May 2023. Originally developed between 1965 and 1973, the mall flourished and expanded during the 1980s but began to encounter financial difficulties by the 1990s.
Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the business. It became a div ...
closed its location in 1990, which triggered a court battle with the mall's then-owner, LaSalle Street Fund, when
Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
attempted to acquire the anchor space that Bloomingdale's previously occupied, which resulted in the space remaining empty until
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
opened in 1996. The site of the mall's original movie theater closed in 1991, remained empty for over a decade, and was eventually renovated and replaced with studio spaces for radio stations
KBFB KBFB (97.9 FM) is a commercial radio station with an urban contemporary radio format, known as "97.9 The Beat." It is licensed to Dallas, Texas and serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. KBFB is owned by Urban One. The studios and offices, a ...
and
KZMJ KZMJ (94.5 FM) is a radio station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. The station airs an urban adult contemporary format. The station is licensed to Gainesville and is owned by Urban One. Co-owned with KBFB and Reach Media, it ...
. A new, larger AMC movie theater later opened, in 2004. The addition of the new theater slowed but did not halt the mall's decline.
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
(who acquired the department store
Foley's Foley's was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. On August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's ...
in 2006) closed in March 2008; Dillard's closed its location in December 2008. Additionally,
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
later closed its location in April 2013. All three respective anchor spaces remained vacant despite differing proposed plans for renovation. Its first and longest-running anchor store,
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
, closed in July of 2017, after over fifty-one years in operation. The AMC theater and remainder of the mall closed in early 2022, and, on February 11, 2023, the former Valley View mall caught fire, which was later extinguished after about 50 firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire. The cause of the fire is still being determined and investigated.


History

The mall was originally developed around 1973 when
Homart Development Company Homart Development Company, a Chicago-based subsidiary of Sears, was one of the largest builders of shopping centers and malls in the United States from 1959 to 1995. Company history As retail development in the United States shifted away from d ...
, the real estate development subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck & Co. at the time, added a Sanger-Harris and several smaller stores to the existing
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
store that had been built in 1965. In August 1973, as part of the mall's grand opening celebration, the
Thom McAn The surname Thom is of Scottish origin, from the city of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus, and is a sept of the Clan MacThomas. Thom is also a first name variant of the abbreviation " Tom" of "Thomas" that holds the "h". People with the surnam ...
Shoe Store offered a free 8 oz. steak with any purchase of $5 or more. This promotion drew local and national media attention. LaSalle Street Fund bought the mall in 1982 and oversaw continued expansion, including the addition of a fourth anchor store in 1983. September 1, 1985, marked the first legal
Sunday shopping Sunday shopping or Sunday trading refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sunday, a day that Christian tradition typically recognises as a day of rest. Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the worl ...
day in the State of Texas. It, like other area malls, celebrated the end of the state's 24-year-old blue law with entertainment and special promotions. Some smaller retailers objected to the new hours but mall officials informed them in writing of their contractual obligations to operate while the mall is open. January 1, 1987, was the first New Year's Day that the anchor stores were open for business on the holiday. Many smaller stores in the mall followed their lead, although it would be a few years before every store would be obligated to be open on the first day of the new year. The mall's ownership and management has changed multiple times in the last two decades.
The Macerich Company Macerich ( ) is a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers. It is the third-largest owner and operator of shopping centers in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned interests in 52 properties compris ...
, a
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...
-based shopping center operator, purchased the mall in 1996 for a reported $85.5 million in cash and debt. Nearby demographic shifts and the continuing occupancy decline led owners to announce plans to redevelop the mall and surrounding area. Beginning around
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
, the neighborhoods near the mall became notably younger, poorer, and more ethnically diverse. According to the 2010 census, the surrounding neighborhood was 60%
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
with the percentage of
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
residents dropping from about 35% in 2000 to just under 25%. In 2010, LNR Partners, Inc., of
Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, took possession of the mall when Macerich defaulted on $125 million in debt.
Jones Lang LaSalle Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) is a global commercial real estate services company, founded in the United Kingdom with offices in 80 countries. The company also provides investment management services worldwide, including services to insti ...
became responsible for mall management. The former space of Steve & Barry's reopened as Bontera Bazzar circa 2011, and was renamed El Mercado the following year. With a change in ownership during 2012, Jones Lang LaSalle ended their management involvement as a new owner, Beck Ventures, took management in-house. Beck Ventures purchased the 1.65 million square ft. property. In mid 2012, the mall began a new effort to create an artistic community. Dubbed "The Gallery at Midtown and Artists Studios," the wings remaining open were occupied by local artists' studios, galleries, and other creative groups. Beginning December 2016, demolition of the mall site was slated to begin (exceptions were made at the time for AMC Valley View 16, Sears, and the studios for radio stations KBFB and KZMJs) and the surrounding real estate was set to be redeveloped into a mixed-use development that would be called Dallas Midtown. Much of these redevelopment plans have yet to come to fruition due to various conflicts. Demolition was temporarily halted in 2017, with the only locations demolished being a former parking garage and the space formerly occupied by Sanger-Harris/
Foley's Foley's was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. On August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's ...
/
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
, as the planned redevelopments stalled due to separate legal conflicts,
zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
, and the loss of public sector incentives from the City of Dallas. In May 2017, The Gallery and Studios were closed indefinitely. During 2017, each radio station closed their respective spaces and relocated to new, different locations. On July 16, 2017, the longest running anchor,
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
, closed its location, making
AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain fou ...
the only remaining anchor in operation and the only portion of the original mall site remaining accessible to the public. In February 2019, the remaining tenants in the corridor to the former
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
and
AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain fou ...
were forced to vacate before the end of March 2019. In May 2019, with the former
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
and former Dillard's halfway through demolition, the former
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
corridor was blocked off from public access and was being prepared for demolition, with one entrance that was left open to allow public access to the
AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain fou ...
as a result of closure of the entrance by the former
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
site. The former sites of
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
,
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
, Dillard's,
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
, and the corridors were then closed off from public access, along with the first floor that included the former food court. Construction of Dallas Midtown is currently slated for 2024.


Former anchors and features


AMC Valley View 16 (2004–2022)

In 2000, as part of a general redevelopment of the mall, Valley View Center Mall officials announced the addition of a 20-screen AMC movie theater as a fifth anchor. After several delays, construction for a 16-screen AMC movie theater began in June 2003 and officially opened on May 14, 2004. The grand opening was marked by a ceremonial "ticket-tearing" featuring Dat Nguyen and
Jason Witten Christopher Jason Witten (born May 6, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 17 seasons, primarily for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Univers ...
of the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. The stadium-style seating theater complex was not built on top of the Sears anchor store as originally planned. In fact, the AMC continued after the Sears store was razed. AMC announced a permanent closure of the theatre following showtimes on January 2, 2022.


Sears (1965–2017)

The
Sears, Roebuck and Company Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began ...
anchor predates the mall itself having been built in 1965. This Sears was built as a two-story freestanding store on what was then the far north fringe of Dallas County and the location was largely surrounded by pasture land. Seven years later, the
Homart Development Company Homart Development Company, a Chicago-based subsidiary of Sears, was one of the largest builders of shopping centers and malls in the United States from 1959 to 1995. Company history As retail development in the United States shifted away from d ...
(a Sears division) built a Sanger-Harris department store on the site and connected it to Sears with a corridor of specialty retailers, creating Valley View Center. In April 2017, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 30 stores nationwide. The store was sold to the developer and closed on July 16, 2017; but, unlike the other closed anchor sites, the interior corridor to the former store would remain publicly accessible until May 2019. In December 2017, New York City-based Seritage Growth Properties, which was formed in 2015 led by Eddie Lampert when
Sears Holdings Sears Holdings Corporation was an American holding company headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was the parent company of the chain stores Kmart and Sears and was founded after the former purchased the latter in 2005. It was the 20th- ...
sold 235 of its store properties to Seritage, including the Sears at Valley View Center Mall, in partnership with Dallas-based KDC, announced plans to build two towers with up to a combined of office space on of the former Sears site.
Jared Jared is a given name of Biblical derivation. Origin In the Book of Genesis, the biblical patriarch Jared (יֶרֶד) was the sixth in the ten pre-flood generations between Adam and Noah; he was the son of Mahalaleel and the father of En ...
operates an outparcel on the site.


Sanger-Harris (1973–1987) / Foley's (1987–2006) / Macy's (2006–2008)

The mall's second anchor () opened in August 1973 as a two-level Sanger-Harris department store as part of the original Valley View Center development. A third floor was added to the store circa 1976. Sanger Harris was merged with
Foley's Foley's was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. On August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's ...
and ceased using the Sanger Harris naming convention in 1987; then, the now-combined company was sold to
May Department Stores The May Department Stores Company was an American department store holding company, formerly headquartered in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It was founded in Leadville, Colorado, by David May in 1877, moving to St. Louis in 1905. After many c ...
in 1988. The store was eventually rebranded to
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
on September 9, 2006 as a result of
Federated Department Stores Macy's, Inc. (originally Federated Department Stores, Inc.) is an American conglomerate holding company. Upon its establishment, Federated held ownership of the regional department store chains Abraham & Straus, Lazarus, Filene's, and Shillito ...
' purchase of the May Company in 2005. This location ceased operation and closed on March 15, 2008. In September 2011, the building's owner at the time, Montfort Mall LLC, announced plans to occupy the building with a "general merchandise" store. This particular plan never materialized. The front parking lot was later fenced off from public access for automobiles from April through December 2016. In February 2017, the exterior mosaic murals originally commissioned by Sanger-Harris were removed and demolition on the site was officially commenced by the site's owner, EF Properties, with plans to redevelop the site for mixed-use redevelopment in partnership with Ross Perot Jr.'s Hillwood Urban. Total demolition, however, stalled after Beck Ventures sued to prevent the site from being demolished completely. A trial on the fate of this particular plan was set for August 2018. The site was later completely demolished by the end of March 2019.


Valley View Cinema 1 & 2 (1975–1991) / Radio One (2002–2017)

In 1975, a twin-screen movie theater owned and operated by
General Cinema Corporation General Cinema Corporation, also known as General Cinema, GCC, or General Cinema Theatres, was a chain of movie theaters in the United States. At its peak, the company operated about 1,500 screens, some of which were among the first cinemas certif ...
was added to the northeast corner of the mall. The theater, formally known as Valley View Cinema 1 & 2, closed in 1991. The facade of the movie theater was then boarded up and the interior furnishings were stripped out. The space remained empty until it was renovated in late 2001 by Radio One to house radio stations
KBFB KBFB (97.9 FM) is a commercial radio station with an urban contemporary radio format, known as "97.9 The Beat." It is licensed to Dallas, Texas and serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. KBFB is owned by Urban One. The studios and offices, a ...
and KSOC. Renovation included leveling the sloping floors in the theater and installing new air-conditioning and heating units. Officially opened in January 2002, the broadcast studios, located on the mall's second level, are in what were originally the former theater's projection rooms. The area that originally housed the box office counters became the reception desk and part of one movie theater was retained as a 150-seat auditorium. The facility also included a small basketball court, two production studios, a mix room, a newsroom, and office space. Both radio stations closed their respective spaces and relocated to new, separate locations in 2017.


Dillard's (1979–2008)

The mall's third anchor, a Dillard's department store (), opened in 1979 originally as a two-level store accompanied by further expansion of the mall. In October 1985, a third sales floor and a fourth floor storage room and penthouse were added to the store location. Linens, furniture, electronics and housewares were relocated to the new third level and several clothing departments on the original two levels were expanded. A candy and cookie department as well as a juniors' department were added. On July 2, 2008, Dillard's announced that it would close this location effective August 30, 2008. After the store closed, the Dillard's signage on the building, and on the mall's road sign, still remained for a few months until they were removed by management, respectively. The entrances were shuttered and the mall's parking deck has been fenced off twice since closing: once in 2009–2013, and once again after November 2016. Asbestos removal in the former Dillard's space occurred in March 2019 and demolition of the site began the next month.


Bloomingdale's (1983–1990) / JCPenney (1996–2013)

In 1982, LaSalle Street Fund purchased Valley View Center Mall and expanded the mall again with more interior stores, including a fourth anchor store. This new anchor location was originally developed for
Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the business. It became a div ...
, which opened its doors in early 1983. On August 18, 1990, Bloomingdale's closed this location due to declining sales and rising local competition. After the store's closure, the mall, which identified store locations by anchor store quadrants, furnished the former Bloomingdale's corridor with a grand piano, added landscaping and artwork, and branded the area as "The Conservatory." In August 1990, Montgomery Ward & Co. Inc. attempted to acquire the ground lease for this anchor space from Federated Department Stores Inc. through a bankruptcy court proceeding. The company had plans to buy the building for a new Montgomery Ward location. Valley View Center Mall's owner at the time,
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
-based LaSalle Street Fund Inc. of Delaware, filed an objection to this plan. In March 1991, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...
, ruled that Federated may withdraw from its deal to sell the building in favor of a deal from the LaSalle Street Fund to "avoid further costs of litigation" and as it would be "a sound business decision."
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
opened a store at the location on October 19, 1996. From 1996 to 2012, this location was the region's largest JCPenney store. This particular store was the planned location of the "secret" prototype JCPenney store. The third floor was closed from public access in March 2012 and a new logo was placed on one side of the building four months later. In February 2013, JCPenney announced that this location would be closed on May 1, 2013, but did not actually undergo a liquidation sale because supposedly the store would reopen the next year. Everything on the second floor except the styling salon was closed off from the public in January and the store did close on May 1, 2013, as planned. This "store of the future" prototype was scheduled to open in the same space in 2014, but this never occurred because the company decided ultimately to not carry out their original plan. Because of the failure to follow through with the "store of the future" reopening, from October 14–19, 2016, remaining store closure signs were removed from the west entrance and the location finally began its liquidation of the space's remaining items: furniture, office items, display cases, lighting fixtures, planters, shelving units, mannequins, holiday decor, and leftover merchandise. The "JCPenney 1902" carvings on the mall entrances remained long after the store's closure in 2013 and were not covered up or removed until demolition on the site began in early 2019.


Smart Shoppers Club (1994–2000)

In April 1994, Valley View Center added a frequent-shopper rewards program called the Smart Shoppers Club. Mall management said they planned to spend roughly $500,000 over the first two years of the program in a bid to increase mall traffic while collecting invaluable demographic data about mall shoppers. Within five months, 9,000 shoppers had joined the club and the mall announced a goal of 20,000 members by the end of 1994. Shoppers logged their visits by swiping their membership card and entering a personal identification number at one of the mall's three touch-screen kiosks. Member benefits included special discount coupons, free gifts, and the chance to win prizes. Club members also received a periodic ''Shopping Smart'' newsletter, a Valley View Center shopping bag, plus a birthday card and gift. The Smart Shoppers Club was terminated in late 2000 when it was replaced by a cardless web-based system called Centerlinq. Customers were then able to redeem their old Smart Shoppers Club cards at the mall's customer service desk for a Valley View Center T-shirt.


Dallas Children's Museum (2000–2006)

Originally opened in August 1998 at the Inwood Village shopping center, the Dallas Children's Museum relocated to Valley View Center in June 2000. The new museum, double the size of the previous location, was on the second level of the mall between the former JCPenney and the space once occupied by the
Disney Store The Disney Store is a chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive, under its own name and Disney Outlet. It was a business unit of Disney Consumer Products with the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products s ...
. For six years, the museum hosted both touring cultural exhibits and permanent features, including a play hospital and kid-sized grocery store. In September 2006, the Museum of Nature & Science and the Dallas Children's Museum announced their merger and closed the Valley View Center location. The museum reopened in
Fair Park Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex in Dallas, Texas, United States, located immediately east of downtown. The area is registered as a Dallas Landmark and National Historic Landmark; many of the buildings were constructed for th ...
as the Children's Museum at the Museum of Nature & Science in October 2006.


The Gallery at Midtown and Artists Studios (2012–2017)

As part of a cultural experiment, Beck Ventures began talks in mid 2012 with notable local artists about creating a thriving, artistic community, along with North Texas' largest local artist cooperative gallery, later known as "The Gallery at Midtown and Artist Studios," located at the center of the western portion of Valley View Center Mall. By 2014, this comprised over 90% of three upstairs wings of the mall. Surrounding the main gallery were several artist-run studios and showrooms, experimental galleries, private galleries, work spaces, a movie school, an actor's studio, and other artistic groups. Every third Saturday of the month from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the Gallery at Midtown was open to the public for an "Art Walk." The Gallery and Studios were closed indefinitely in May 2017 with plans to return as part of Dallas Midtown.


Current status and future plans

Beginning in 2011, the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce became involved in an effort to coordinate the redevelopment of the mall and the surrounding area. In April 2012, then-new owners Beck Ventures announced a $2 billion redevelopment plan for the mall & surrounding property. It was dubbed "Dallas Midtown," including retail, luxury condominiums, and a "five-star" hotel that was to be designed and operated by hotel impresario Paul Ruffino and his company Hospitality Management Services. To fill vacant spaces, storefronts were soon converted into artist studios and a gallery, which remain in place as of June 2018. A mercado was set to be constructed in cooperation with a local Spanish-language radio station, and multiple food court restaurants were to become home to
test kitchen A test kitchen is a kitchen used for the process of developing new kinds of food. On the largest scale, they are run by the research and development departments of large companies in the food industry. Other test kitchens are owned by individuals ...
s for local
food truck A food truck is a large motorized vehicle (such as a van) or trailer, equipped to cook, prepare, serve, and/or sell food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food; others have on-board kitchens and prepare food from scratc ...
s. Since 2012 however, various problems arose that have prevented much of the redevelopment plans from being carried out. The second floor of El Mercado was closed in May 2014. Upon starting the demolition from the Macy's store end, it abruptly stopped as it was said further demolition would impact utilities in some of the other remaining stores. With this delay, approximately $36 million in tax incentives from the City of Dallas were rescinded when Beck Ventures failed to raze the original mall site in its entirety by the end of June 2016, as first planned. A later proposal in 2017 by Beck Ventures of $50 million in new incentives was rejected by the Dallas City Council. By early 2017, El Mercado was closed in its entirety. In September 2017, 100 acres of the original mall site was proposed in a joint venture to be the location for Amazon HQ2.


Honors and awards

In November 2007, the
International Council of Shopping Centers The International Council of Shopping Centers, doing business as ICSC, is the global trade association of what it calls the "Marketplaces Industry" (i.e., shopping centers, shopping malls, and all other retail real estate). Founded in 1957, it fea ...
presented a Maxi award in the Community Relations category to Valley View Center for work with the Texas Council of Girls Scouts.


See also

*
List of shopping malls in Dallas, Texas The history of shopping malls in Texas began with the oldest shopping center in the United States, Highland Park Village, which opened in 1931 in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex.


References


External links


Gallery @ Midtown
{{Dallas malls Economy of Dallas Shopping malls established in 1973 Shopping malls in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex 1973 establishments in Texas Shopping malls disestablished in 2022 Defunct shopping malls in the United States Demolished shopping malls in the United States