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“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 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.

“What we’re seeing is, this is what our community wants and needs,” McGough says.

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 U.S. 75 and Belt Line Square in Addison.

Finding a high-profile anchor that wasn’t a typical big-box store was RPI’s first priority. They signed on Alamo Drafthouse, a high-end movie theater that McGough initially hoped would become part of the Lake Highlands Town Center.

Alamo Drafthouse houses Vetted

Well, a bar and pizza joint with an outdoor patio overlooking White Rock Creek Trail. Its proximity to the trail is intentional, says Cory McCord, RPI’s director of leasing. He points to Katy Trail Ice House as an example of how amenities can increase a trail’s foot traffic.

“We’re creating something for people to walk to,” he says.

A new trail segment connecting Lake Highlands Trail to White Rock Creek Trail is in the works. By October 2019, neighbors should be able to walk or bike from the Lake Highlands Town Center to Creekside.

The new path crosses under the Skillman bridge, where lighting will be added to increase safety.

Besides Alamo Drafthouse and Vetted Well, restaurants like Fireside 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.

In a few months, signage and landscaping will be incorporated to the Skillman median. “Lake Highlands” will be engraved in a stainless steel box on top of a low brick wall. Live oaks, lit at night, will be planted around the median.

The signage also is planned at Northwest Highway and Audelia, and Walnut Hill near Greenville, as part of the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District’s plan to make the neighborhood more inviting.

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.

Allen, the self-proclaimed Lake Highlands cheerleader, 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, which is reflected in its retailers.

“What I’ve experienced is that all of the businesses, they all have a niche about them when you go in there,” Allen says. “...You have to enjoy what you have.”

Additional reporting by Carol Toler

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 oneof-a-kind destination,” Hodge says.

Building And Remodeling

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