TARGET SITE?: The old University Mall.

A reliable source came across something interesting this week.

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It is a site plan for the Park Avenue shopping center project. This is the delayed makeover of the former University Mall by Strode Development of Dallas. Clearing work was done, but the economic downturn and a slowdown in new store construction by Target, a planned anchor, put the project on hold.

A developer familiar with the project told me a week ago that development news might be imminent. These plans indicate that he knew what he was talking about.

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My source said site preparation work is out to bid and the bids are due Wednesday. Should they hit budget targets, development plans could follow, my source believes. The only identified immediate development on the plan is a Target store. My source says other building footprints on the plan are to be seeded with grass, suggesting the Target is the only immediate element planned.

Strode has been tight-lipped throughout. Perhaps one of the city officials who’s been closely involved in this project can provide a little Saturday crowd sourcing for us with further details of what’s up. Here’s a thorough Wikipedia history of the land, from which the photo was taken.

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