When I was young, the mall bore a symbiotic relationship with coming of age. A young ladies first piercing, the angsty boys first cigarette in that dimly lit corner by the movie theatre, the first kiss at the food court, and beyond. The jury is still out on whether millennials killed the indoor department store experience but it is fact that Valley View Center is working on borrowed time.
The mall was slated for demolition by December 2016 to make way for a fortress of luxury concrete (exactly what Dallas is in dire need of) but the city terminated its agreement with Beck Ventures for tax incentives to assist in covering the $500 million price tag. A labyrinth of finger pointing later, the developer and City of Dallas will meet each other in arbitration before the husk falls.
