No plans for the Highland Park Village north parking lot in the 4200 block of W. Mockingbird Lane have been officially filed or confirmed, but concerns of some neighbors about the future of the site have spilled into public view.
Near the shopping center, signs can be seen that say “No Rezone No Hotel. Stop HP Village Expansion.” A website that the signs direct people to shares some neighbors’ concerns that the future plans for the site could include rezoning that might allow for a hotel, parking garage, and other commercial uses. The open-air shopping center itself is zoned as a planned development district while the north parking lot and surrounding neighborhood are zoned for single-family residential uses, according to the town’s zoning map.
A representative of Highland Park Village said that as of early September, there are no plans that the prominent shopping center’s leadership has settled on for the site and no zoning case prepared or submitted to the town. Jeff Armstrong, Director of Community Development for the town of Highland Park, likewise said the town hasn’t received any zoning or other applications for development for the site.
“Various concepts have been explored for this location over the years to provide positive solutions for not only Highland Park Village but also the community. As of today, nothing has been decided. There is no firm plan or timeline, and no zoning case has been prepared or submitted to the Town,” the September 3 statement read.
Still, before signage was visible around Highland Park Village showcasing neighbors’ concerns about what might be planned for the parking lot, some neighbors, including one in the 4200 block of Potomac Avenue behind the lot, wrote letters to Highland Park Mayor Will Beecherl and the town council with their concerns about the possibilities and the shopping center’s expansion in recent years. Specifically, the letter outlined concerns about increased traffic and noise around the shopping center and its proximity to Bradfield Elementary.
“For the past ten years, I have seen changes and growth of the Highland Park Village from a quiet community shopping center to a high-density shopping & restaurant/bar destination,” one letter read. “I am very disappointed with the changes that have been allowed to occur. The HP Village now draws large, continuous crowds of visitors.”
Highland Park Village completed Building 100 on Preston Road in early 2019 and installed fountains at the entrances along Preston Road, among other projects in recent years.
Most recently, over the summer, plans were filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and to renovate 3,500 square feet in Building C and 7,000 square feet in Building D. Over the summer, crews could be seen working in the area.
Building C is the building facing Douglas Avenue and Building D is at the corner of Mockingbird Lane and Douglas Avenue, according to plans from architectural firm Omniplan, which has worked on projects at Highland Park Village. Building C includes Oscar De La Renta and Ceron Highland Park, among others, while Building D includes Balmain, Veronica Beard, Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, and Vacheron Constantin, and more, according to the shopping center’s directory.
Beyond the filings, a spokesperson for Highland Park Village hasn’t answered questions about the status of that project or timeline for completion.
Originally built in 1931, Highland Park Village spans seven buildings and 250,000 square feet of open-air retail space.
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