Real Estate

from Preston Hollow People January 2023

Society

1442 Private Road 1214 Stephenville

COURTESY EBBY HALLIDAY REALTORS

Care to own a piece of history less than two hours from downtown Dallas? The 150-year-old landmark Fences Ranch, on 271 acres just outside of Stephenville, was officially declared a landmark by the Texas Historical Commission in 1987. The original homestead and the natural setting along the Bosque River to the west provided abundant inspiration for the main ranch house — a limestone Cumberland-style cabin incorporated into the reimagined, concept-driven design by McKinney York Architects. Walls of windows overlook sprawling panoramic views, mighty oak trees, and the occasional visiting wildlife. Find an additional 2,416-squarefoot home a quarter mile from the main complex. Other structures on the property include a pergola over the lap pool, pool house, bunk house, a single-room masonry dugout, two stone barns, and a rock base for an elevated cistern.

A portion of the mall remains, but if new deadlines set by city officials are met, it may not be by the end of July. RACHEL SNYDER

Dallas Sets New Deadlines for Final Valley View Demolition

By Rachel Snyder

rachel.snyder@peoplenewspapers.com

About three years after an agreement was reached to tear down Valley View Center, the final portion of the abandoned mall could come down by the end of July if new city deadlines are met.

A pair of YouTubers in November showed how easy it is to get inside. They filmed themselves entering through an exposed loading bay and walking through the food court, where glass shards covered the floor and spray paint many surfaces.

“The video helped reveal that the building was not secured, despite assurances to the contrary,” Dallas City Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz said.

She represents District 11, where the site is located.

In response, Dallas Assistant City Attorney Charlotta Riley sent a demand letter on Nov. 18 to property owner Beck Ventures outlining 10 code violations, including objects or conditions on the premises that are “reasonably capable of causing injury to a person.”

The building isn’t secure enough, its structural material is deteriorating, and the site’s condition allows waste to accumulate, Riley argued.

Per the letter, the city could ask a judge to impose a fine of up to $1,000 per day per violation if deadlines aren’t met.

Beck Ventures has yet to return requests for comment, but city workers found progress during a site visit on Dec. 7.

“The inspection confirmed that preparations for the (asbestos) abatement process are happening,” Riley said. “The asbestos abatement itself cannot begin until Dec. 15 due to a mandatory 10-day notice period required by the Texas Department of State Health Services. After that, the city will conduct regular inspections to ensure ongoing progress.”

This isn’t the first-time deadlines for its demolition have been set. Per the Dallas Morning News, developer Scott Beck first told city council members he’d demolish the mall in 2016 to make way for the long-awaited Dallas Midtown development. The work was expected to take six months, but Beck alleged zoning change holdups from the city while the city blamed Beck for missed deadlines, the newspaper reported.

The city sued the mall’s owners in 2018. Under a settlement reached in 2019, the parties agreed all remaining tenants except for the AMC theater would be evicted immediately, the rest of the mall would be demolished before the start of 2020, and the Becks would pay the city $1 million in code violation penalties, the Morning News reported.

However, the theater didn’t close until January 2022, and a demolition permit issued for the site in 2019 expired in 2021.

Another property owner, Seritage Growth Properties, is selling its nearly 17acre property on the site.

As for the future of the former mall, city leaders have included the property in a planned 450-acre redevelopment branded as the Dallas International District.

Comings and Goings

Mendocino Farms COURTESY MENDOCINO FARMS

Now Open

Alchemy 43

6465 E. Mockingbird Lane

The aesthetics brand specializing in minimally invasive “micro treatments” like Botox, fillers, and other skincare treatments opened its first Dallas location in November.

Dallas Yoga Center 4140 Lemmon Ave.

The studio offering yoga and mindfulness classes with sound healing, breath work, energy healing, sound healing, reiki, and yoga nidra opened in a new space at the intersection of Lemmon Avenue and Douglas Avenue above Gloria’s in November.

Haystack Burgers

Preston Forest Shopping Center

The locally owned burger spot opened its fifth Dallas-Fort Worth location in a 2,755-square-foot space in the Preston-Forest shopping center. Standout burgers include the haystack with applewood smoked bacon, onions, cheddar cheese, housemade barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato, and pickles; the Escabeche with jalapeño escabeche, pepper jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon, chipotle mayo, and onions; and the chicken fried burger with jalapeño-bacon cream gravy. The restaurant also offers 12 draught handles with rotating local DFW beers.

Heyday

3010 N. Henderson Ave.

The facial and skincare shop offering personalized facial services, products, and more opened its first Texas location in December. known for seasonal sandwiches, salads, and soups, recently opened its fifth Dallas-area location in Preston Hollow.

Teressa Foglia

Highland Park Village

The celebrity hat maker’s first Dallas pop-up storefront location is open next to Loro Piana until Jan. 5.

Temporarily Closing

Carbone’s Fine Food and Wine

The Shops of Highland Park

Julian Barsotti’s Italian eatery, which was until recently in a high-profile trademark dispute with New York-based Major Food Group’s new Dallas outpost Carbone will temporarily close in January to renovate and rebrand with a different name.

Alex Perry | 214.926.0158 | alex.perry@alliebeth.com

Natural Beauty

Indoor Outdoor Year Round

9131 Devonshire Drive $15,500,000 4 Bed / 4.1 Bath / 6,481 Sq.Ft.

Clarke Landry | 214.316.7416 | clarke.landry@alliebeth.com

6230 Stichter Avenue $3,395,000 6 Bed / 9,142 Sq.Ft. / .439 Acres

Hear from My Clients

Susan is the rare true pro. She tirelessly worked with us until we found the right house. She is extremely knowledgeable about lesser known pockets of Dallas. She was wonderful through the bid and closing process using her valuable resources to make the process efficient and painless. We highly recommend Susan!