Years of wondering whether the former Valley View Mall will ever be redeveloped may be coming to an end as developers set a new groundbreaking target for the $4B Dallas Midtown project.

Anthem Development, a subsidiary of master developer Beck Ventures, will spearhead the first phase, an $80M mixed-use building that will include 26K SF of ground-level retail, 275 luxury apartment units and 10K SF of amenity space. The hope is to start construction in December or January, Beck Ventures CEO Scott Beck said at a May 23 event.

“For those of us who have fond memories of Valley View Mall, today marks the new chapter in this story,” he said. “Its transformation will be a testament to the potential of North Dallas and greater Dallas County.”

The first phase is expected to take about three years to complete, Beck said. During that time, the company will add landscaping to the site so the property is less of an eyesore to neighbors.

“Over time, as we get closer to that project opening, we will see most of this area have more green on it as opposed to just vacant asphalt parking,” he said.

It has been a decade since Dallas Midtown was approved by Dallas City Council, but the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing disputes between the developer and the city have kept the project from moving forward.

After months of contention and finger-pointing, city council gave the developer a December 2022 deadline to finish demolition on the site so construction could begin. Beck Ventures claimed the project was held up by the city’s failure to install the needed infrastructure for dense development, according to NBC DFW.

“We have turned over a new leaf,” Beck said. “We’re going to move forward from today with positive messaging from a unity perspective of us working with the city of Dallas.”

Beck and his partners said they hope work on Phase 1 will catalyze future development in what the city has deemed the Dallas International District, a 450-acre parcel north of Interstate 635 and east of the toll road.

The city has purchased several buildings in the district where it plans to eventually house Dallas Independent School District’s International STEAM Academy, the French Trade Office, the European American Chamber of Commerce Texas and the city’s Workforce Solutions department.

“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 hundreds of thousands come from across North Texas and the world to visit as a global meeting place,” District 11 Council Member Jaynie Schultz said at the event.

Future phases of Dallas Midtown could include another apartment building, an office tower and a hotel, though Beck said those decisions will be market-driven. The district will also feature an automated tram system that will connect Dallas Midtown to the Galleria, an endeavor that Schultz said is funded in part by a $10M grant from the Regional Transportation Council.

“Our promise is to not just construct buildings, but to build a vibrant community that boosts economic growth and brings a renewed sense of vibrancy to North Dallas,” Beck said. “The transformation reflects our collective vision and dedication to making Dallas an even greater city.”