Spectacular new urbanist project at Big Town site in Mesquite shot down
Finally.
Advertisement
For more than four decades, the Big Town Mall area on the western edge of Mesquite has been on the decline.
After decades of dormancy, the city recently received two proposals for redevelopment of the Big Town area from the same developer, Spence Albert.
Albert is no stranger to Mesquite as he is responsible for the Falcon's Lair North and South projects.
In fact, the project that will more than likely be presented in a public hearing before the city council on Monday calls for the demolition and subsequent environmental clean-up of Big Town Mall.
The mall site, the convention center, the farmer's market area -- all gone under the demolition proposal.
"We have a zoning application for a business park," said City of Mesquite Economic Development Director Tom Palmer. "The Big Town Task Force is recommending establishment of a TIF [Tax Increment Finance] zone for $5 million.
"There has been discussion that the TIF would stay in place for a number of years to help cash flow property development should it occur."
Originally, Albert presented something more grandiose for the area.
The Villages of Big Town was an ultra-trendy, West Village-style, new urbanism type of development similar to those found in Southlake, Frisco, Plano or Mockingbird Station in Dallas.
It also featured the complete leveling of Big Town in its present state -- replacing it with a combination retail/residential development with streetscape infrastructure and even a club overlay district.
And, the TIF district that would have been created with the project was a proposed 30 years -- generating $100 million.
City Councilor David Paschall voiced a number of concerns with the Villages concept at the Dec. 6 council meeting -- including the creation of a TIF with such a large commitment.
"I can't stand corporate welfare," he said this week. "I believe a project should be able to live on its own. Those TIF monies are revenues that would be going to the general fund and as our budgets get tighter, it's hard to justify taking money from the taxpayers and giving it to someone else."
Another concern Paschall noted at the council meeting was that the Villages of Big Town concept was an apartment project -- and that it would have been eight times larger than any other apartment project in the city of Mesquite, he said.
"One of the messages I have received from the people of my district is, 'No more apartments,'" he said. "And, this would be the biggest TIF with the longest lifespan we would have ever put together."
As it turned out, with the Villages concept apparently going by the wayside, the business park proposal fulfill two important purposes for the city.
First of all, Paschall agreed that a commercial or industrial development would be more consistent with the development that has occurred in adjacent areas to Big Town -- such as the Unilever distribution center.
And, the recently adopted development guide recommends commercial projects for the Big Town area.
Secondly, the business park concept could provide much-needed land for industrial and commercial prospects.
Palmer said the city is rapidly running out of industrially conducive land and the Big Town business park concept will fill that void.
"The business park concept would present some quality standards that could serve as a front door to the community," Palmer said. "It would have nice entry features and a retail component could be built in.
"The Big Town name still carries some nostalgic market value. It is down right now, but it could be something that could perhaps be rekindled."
