Dillard's To Break Ground on 200,000 SF

ALLEN , TX-Dillard’s Inc. will be the next retailer to break ground in the Village at Fairview, part of the three-million-square foot, $1 billion mixed-use project in the far north Dallas suburbs. The Little Rock, AR-based retailer has closed on 11 acres, and will soon start moving dirt for a 200,000-square-foot store.

Dillard’s will join under construction retailers Macy’s Inc. and JC Penney Co. in the Village at Fairview, at the intersection of Stacy Road and U.S. Hwy 75. Though Macy’s and Penney stores will open in fall 2009, Dillard’s hasn’t announced an opening date. Meanwhile, across the street in the Village at Allen, which opened last fall, Minneapolis-based Target Corp. is readying to open a SuperTarget in sister project Village at Allen.

Gar Herring, president of development company MGHerring Group in Dallas says staggered groundbreakings and openings at the 400-acre project spanning two cities will continue well into 2010, with a Courtyard at Marriott planned for a September 2009 opening, followed by the launch of the 6200-seat Allen Event Center. Meanwhile, a Whole Foods Market will open in spring, 2010.

“Dallas continues to be strong,” says Herring, explaining the success of the sister centers. “Retailers continue to tell us that Dallas is one of the strongest markets in the country. They recognize there’s a real lack of competition in the Allen-McKinney area, especially for an area with so much income and growth.”

He tells GlobeSt.com that already existing retailers at Village of Allen, which include Dick’ s Sporting Goods, Best Buy and TJ Maxx, have had sales exceeding expectations. “They’ve been telling other retailers this site is a success, leading others to execute deals and commit to new stores in Allen,” Herring comments.

Though Herring declined to mention specifics on upcoming deals, he did say the project has room for an additional hotel, an office building and another major department store. Also on the drawing board is a government facility. “We’re building the commercial hub of Collin County, and the build out will be going on for decades,” he comments.