After nearly three months, the former Valley View Mall has been demolished, RIP, and now it's time for — drumroll — the Dallas International District.
According to a release, the Dallas International District will be a live-work-play-visit community, located on a 450-acre site in the Valley View-Galleria Special Purpose District, that "celebrates the diverse people and businesses of North Texas."
Dallas City Council member Jaynie Schultz, in whose District 11 the property resides, joined city of Dallas staff on May 23 in a ceremony at the site and offered official comments:
“The final demolition and clearing of the Valley View site is an important step in the fulfillment of the vision set forth over 10 years ago by our city leaders, chambers of commerce, the development community and neighbors,” Schultz said.
“The vision of the Dallas International District is to be a new regional downtown that thousands of people call home, thousands more are employed, and thousands more come from across North Texas to visit as a global meeting place whether in the park, our international restaurants, and shop at Galleria Dallas," she said.
A plan for the Dallas International District was presented to City Council in January 2022 by Schultz and community volunteers.
The city purchased the Prism Center at 5580 Peterson Ln. in early 2021 as an anchor for the district whose international flair would include becoming home the French Trade Office and the European American Chamber of Commerce Texas.
Other components include:
- Dallas ISD purchased a building for the school district’s first PreK-12 International STEAM Academy, expected to open in 2025.
- Workforce Solutions will open an office in fall 2023.
- Friends of The Commons has begun fundraising for a 20-acre park called Dallas International Commons.
There are also plans for 10,000 residential units.
The city is currently building pedestrian-friendly streets along Montfort Road, with wide sidewalks, bike lanes, and streetscape improvements.
The goals are heady: to not only create an engine for economic growth and a diverse cultural destination, but also solidify Dallas’ global leadership. Godspeed!
