Skillman Abrams: An entertainment destination?

HOW CREEKSIDE IS CHANGING THE INTERSECTION’S LACKLUSTER REPUTATION

Neighbors were ecstatic when they learned Alamo Drafthouse would anchor the former SkillmanAbrams shopping center.

After Tom Thumb vacated the intersection’s northeast corner in 2013, nearby businesses like 7-Eleven, Sigel’s Liquor, Big Lots and Liquid Zoo followed suit. The development sat vacant for three years.

Many East Dallas and Lake Highlands neighbors felt ignored. They complained about the number of service businesses and lack of recreation options, says Jerry Allen, former city councilman for Lake Highlands.

“A lot of neighbors felt, ‘We’re not quite District 10, but we’re not quite Lakewood,’ " says City Councilman Mark Clayton, whose district borders the intersection. “But they matter just as much. Things were happening around them and not to them.”

Creekside, a newly developed retail center, may be the catalyst that changes the face of the intersection.

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Too few restaurants, too many loan agencies

Skillman and Abrams is a geographic anomaly. Touching Merriman Park, University Manor and Vickery Meadow, three Dallas City Council districts converge at the intersection. Clayton, Preston Hollow Councilwoman Jennifer Gates and Lake Highlands City Councilman Adam McGough share ownership of the area.

While Clayton has prioritized redeveloping the former Steakley Chevrolet dealership at Abrams and Northwest Highway, McGough is spearheading development initiatives at Skillman and Abrams. He considers the area to be one of Lake Highlands’ gateways.

“When you start looking strategically at the entire run of Skillman, I-635 all the way to Abrams … that becomes the backbone of our entire district,” he says.

At the intersection’s northwest corner, Super Target attracts neighbors from both East Dallas and Lake Highlands. Habitat for Humanity Resale and Harbor Freight Tools populate the southeast corner, along with a laundromat and other service businesses.

Vibrant loan agency signs dot corners of the intersection. When Allen was Lake Highlands’ city councilman, he vehemently fought against payday lenders. He led the city council to pass an ordinance limiting the number and location of future lending agencies, which he says take advantage of low-income customers.

“It makes you think your neighborhood’s going downhill,” he told the Advocate in 2011.

Tyler Isbell — the vice president at SRS Real Estate Partners and chair of McGough’s City Council District 10 economic development committee — agrees.

“My wife and I aren’t going to spend date night at a cash store or payday loan,” he says.

Even without the loan agencies, neighbors’ consensus was the intersection needed several upgrades, Allen says. That perception hasn’t changed much since he left office in 2015.

“The center where Habitat for Humanity is — one of the irritations is the parking lot,” Allen says. “It’s not well taken care of. That speaks volumes about the landowner. If they

“My wife and I aren’t going to spend date night at a cash store or payday loan.” can’t take care of the parking lot, they can’t take care of the building.”

The only center exempt from grumbling is Creekside, a 111,254-square-foot development at the northeast corner of SkillmanAbrams that has spurred the intersection’s makeover.

When Creekside came to town

The vacated Skillman Abrams shopping center was deemed an eyesore until Retail Plazas Inc. bought the property in 2016. The Dallasbased developer says its niche is making ramshackle shopping centers profitable. RPI’s properties include Lakeside Village at Walnut Hill and of the building.” It’s not like home. It is home. Dallas’ Premier Retirement Living Call today to learn more about the newest additions to our all-inclusive lifestyle! 8501 Lullwater Drive, Dallas, Texas 75238 214-343-6400 landonatlakehighlands.com

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Pies, Fuzzy’s Tacos and Burgerim slowly are moving into the center. RPI is actively pursuing craft coffee, breakfast, barbecue and Asian eateries, but nothing is finalized, McCord says.

Creekside may have persuaded surrounding developers to up their game, as well. The Habitat for Humanity shopping center recently was purchased, according to Isbell and McCord.

“I feel like that area is going to naturally develop in a way to reach its highest potential, regardless of anything we do now,” Clayton says. “When you have a tenant like a Alamo Drafthouse, the highest and best, the market will naturally fall into that space.”

Despite Allen’s disdain for loan agencies during his city council tenure, Allen cautions that a total overhaul may be detrimental to some residents who need service businesses. For instance, some neighbors rely on loan agencies because banks won’t serve them, he says. He doesn’t want to discount the diversity in Lake Highlands and East Dallas, which is reflected in its retailers.

Creekside II: (Maybe) coming to you soon

Constructing a shopping center in a floodplain is complicated and expensive. But that’s Retail Plazas Inc.’s next endeavor — if the developer behind Creekside can woo the City of Dallas.

RPI plans to construct a retail center on the 6.6-acre property at 6800 Abrams Road northeast of Park Lane. The development’s aesthetic and tenants would be similar to the adjacent Creekside shopping center at Abrams and Skillman. Called “Creekside on the Trail,” the center would consist of three two-tenant buildings with restaurants and perhaps a bicycle store.

“I’m seeking the type of tenant that would like Deep Ellum — urban and cool,” says Trey Hodge, vice president of acquisitions and development.

RPI has a handful of major hurdles to clear before Creekside on the Trail could come to fruition. The 6.6-acre property is zoned for single-family homes. The developer first must convince the City Plan Commission to recommend rezoning the vacant land to community retail.

If RPI wins the commission’s favor, the next step is creating engineering plans that mitigate potential flooding and requesting Dallas City Council’s approval.

One challenge is the economic viability of the center, says Cory McCord, RPI’s director of leasing. They’ll need to find tenants willing to pay rent that’ll support the cost of construction and maintenance. Because of the property’s small size, plans will be both tedious and costly. Hodge himself is skeptical of how realistic the concept is.

“We had to agree to certain standards, but if we can pull it off, it could be a one-of-a-kind destination,” Hodge says.

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