After years of delay on plans to replace Valley View Mall in Dallas with and entirely new community, several remaining mall tenants confirmed Friday they have been told they must leave by next month.
Isabel Moyron has run Isabella's Flowers, Crafts and Gifts at the mall for the past 7 years.
"They bring us a memorandum," she said. "We expected that, anyhow. We were ready."
When she first started shopping at the mall many years ago, she could not afford rent at what was at that time a very busy place.
"It used to be full, with all kinds of stores, like a regular mall," she said.
Over the years the shopping center declined and Developer Scott Beck bought most of it to make way for Midtown.
At a groundbreaking on June 23, 2017, Beck started demolition of a parking lot structure on the back side of the mall, promising to begin work on the plan for high-rise apartments, offices and new stores on the vast mall parking lots.
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None of that work has begun. Most of the mall is still standing and Beck is at odd with the City of Dallas over the lack of progress on the vast empty space that was to boost the North Dallas area.
Visitors Friday at the AMC Theaters, which are still open at Valley View, wondered how much longer it will take to see the new vision.
"About four years ago they started talking about it at least. But this is an ideal place I mean, we're right off 635," said movie customer Myrian Medina. "When is it going to happen? How far do we have to go till then?"
Scott Beck responded to a message Friday with a text saying, "no comment."
AMC Theaters did not return messages seeking comment on whether that tenant has also been told to close by next month.
Meanwhile, another developer that owns the southeast corner of the vast mall property including the former Sears store is moving ahead with a competing project for high-rise apartments, offices and retail space. It could compete for tenants with Beck’s project.
KDC Real Estate and Development calls their portion of the project 'Park Heritage at Midtown.' A spokesperson for the company said the firm is seeking tenants and hopes to break ground soon.
Isabel Moyron expects all of the new space to be too expensive to continue her business at the location and she plans to close.
"I'll be ready," she said."Maybe I'm going to do something else later."
