Dallas is rebranding a 440-acre areathat includes the Galleria and demolished Valley View mall as the International District.
It’s the latest step in a long-planned redevelopment of the North Dallas area that officials now say will become the city’s cultural hub and attract new global businesses.
The estimated $4 billion redevelopment project has been discussed since 2011, and a plan was formally approved by the City Council two years later. The goal is to turn the area north of Interstate 635 between Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road into a mixed-use walkable neighborhood. It will include a 20-acre park, 10,000 new homes, restaurants, arts and entertainment venues, and eventually a DART light rail connection.
A new Dallas ISD school and centers dedicated to helping businesses could also come to the area. The city is looking to get local developers, businesses and private partners to help pay for the project.
The Valley View mall opened in the 1970s. Most of it was demolished by 2019.
A $1 billion bond package approved by Dallas voters in 2017 includes $6 million set aside for the park.
The project was previously dubbed Dallas Midtown, but polling showed “International District” resonated most with residents, said Suzanne Smith, a project consultant with Social Impact Architects.
Progress on redeveloping the area has been slow since the council approved the plan in 2013, but city officials point to the rebranding and recent developments as positive signs it is moving forward.
In a statement, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson described the project as a great opportunity to “boost our city’s presence on the global stage while also transforming an underutilized area into an amazing gathering place that all of our residents can enjoy.”
During his state of the city speech in November, Johnson said the city needed to be more aggressive in its economic development efforts to be a statewide, national and international leader.
Council member Jaynie Schultz, who represents the area, said the project would allow Dallas to be competitive with northern suburbs and could bring millions in tax revenue to the city. She noted it’s about 20 minutes away from DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field.
“We’ve lost so many corporate relocations, we’ve lost residents, and this is our chance to get some of that back. As well as the new people that are pouring into Dallas,” Schultz said. “It’s really important that we embrace this area as a citywide opportunity.”
Voters in November approved part of a $3.7 billion Dallas ISD bond package plan that includes $75 million for a new northern Dallas school that city officials hope comes to the area.
The City Council in April approved buying a two-story office building with nearly 54,000 square feet of rentable space for almost $5.7 million that could be the short-term site of a new international cultural center. It could eventually be demolished to make more room for the new park, officials say.
City officials said it’s one of five properties they need to buy to secure the park space. Schultz’s District 11 office is based in the building. The funding came from a combination of bond and tax increment finance money.
The council in June also approved a $4.5 million construction project on Montfort Drive from I-635 to Alpha Road that would decrease vehicle lanes from six to four and add water and wastewater improvements as well as bike lanes and other road and traffic changes. That project is estimated to be done by the end of 2022.
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