What's next for the site of the former Valley View Mall?
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – For long time Dallas residents like Bob Heckel, the former Valley View Mall site brings back memories.
"When I was a kid, we used to go to Valley View and it was a great mall," he said.
However, he said in the years since its closing, it's become a safety concern for parents whose kids who play sports nearby.
"We even talked about the parents pitching in and getting security, our own security, to kind of cover because our cars were getting broken into and some other things," Heckel said.
After Valley View Mall closed in 2015, Dallas Fire Rescue responded to multiple fires at what was left of the abandoned building.
After two firefighters were injured responding to another fire last March, complete demolition was ordered and now it's finally complete. An official announcement of what's to come is expected Tuesday morning.
"I'd like to see this part of Dallas revived," Heckel said. "I think it's been a long time and it's gone downhill for a long time."
"It doesn't fit this area, you know, and I mean, what's the plan for this?" Dallas resident Alice Tu said.
The project has faced multiple delays in a long fight between the city and property owners. The developer, Beck Ventures, says the process could have been quicker if the city put in an updated sewer line essential to redevelopment.
Now, the hope is to put a world class project called "Dallas Midtown" here. In part, the $4 billion development will include housing, office space, shopping and restaurants.
"Anything would be better than what they're doing with it now," resident Matthew Christy sad. "It just feels like it's bringing the whole neighborhood down."
"I'd like to see something as nice as back then when it first opened," Heckel said.
Right now, there's no timeline on when new construction might begin.
