Plans Unveiled for 3.7M-Sq.-Ft. Mixed-use Project in Dallas

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorDallas–Icon Partners LLC will develop Midtown, a new 3.7 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use development, to be located at the intersection of I-635/LBJ Freeway and the Dallas North Tollway, halfway between downtown Dallas, and North Dallas and Frisco.The 20-acre phase one of Icon’s Midtown is being built on the east side of the Dallas Galleria, with frontage along I-635/LBJ Freeway and Noel Road. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2009, with opening of the residential tower expected in early 2011.“Icon’s Midtown will be developed as a walking community,” says Paris Rutherford, president of Icon Partners LLC. “It will be a place in North Dallas where people will come to walk, shop and just spend time hanging out.”When complete, the Midtown development will have 525,000 sq. ft. of retail space, a 34-story office tower as well as 534 luxury apartments and lofts in three different towers.The developers decided to eliminate condominiums in favor of luxury for-lease, due to the current market conditions for condos.A 50,000-sq. ft. “Food District” on Midtown’s north side will include a cooking school with a TV studio, an Italian grocery store, 20 boutique food shops and a classic New York-style deli-bakery. On weekends, the street will be closed to cars and street vendors will take center stage, offering outdoor presentations and culinary delights in a pedestrian-friendly, street fair atmosphere, according to Icon Partners.In addition, there will be two new-to-Dallas entertainment venues and a collection of 14 destination restaurants. “Our goal is to create an urban experience that will bring lots of local people and visitors together to enjoy the type of walking district for which great cities are known,” says Daniel Robinowitz, chairman of Icon Partners. The project will also have interactive water fountains, an art park, a sculpture garden and a generous children’s play area, all within close view of outdoor dining and shopping.