The Dallas Business Journal reported last week that a group of developers, investors and property owners (a.k.a. the Valley View Galleria Group) were coming up with a master plan to transform the area around the two shopping centers into more than just retail. We’re talking residential, office and green space.

The vision also includes razing Valley View Center. The Dallas Morning News ran a big article on it yesterday (behind the online paywall). The mall, which has been up for sale for quite a while, could have a buyer by the end of this year.

The reconstruction of LBJ Freeway has called more attention to the aging retail center and the area around it, providing a prime opportunity for redevelopment. Far North Dallas residents won’t have to drive to Garland or Frisco or Plano for a thriving, open-air shopping center.

Long-time neighbors might recall that back in the day when Far North Dallas was first developed, we had Prestonwood Town Center, the Galleria and Valley View. One by one, they all closed and/or deteriorated except for the Galleria, which is kind of hassle to get to anyway.

It’s clear that the mall concept is dead, but how might an Uptown-like development affect surrounding neighborhoods and businesses? That remains to be seen.