The former Valley View mall is being demolished ahead of schedule following a recent blaze that left multiple firefighters injured.
“Investigators were unable to make a conclusive determination of the initial heat source, nor could they determine the first materials ignited,” Dallas Fire-Rescue PIO Jason Evans told The Dallas Express. “Therefore, the fire classification is undetermined. However, Investigators reserve the right to change or supplement these findings based on new or additional information.”
Irving-based demolition contractor Lindamood Inc. arrived at the derelict mall on Thursday shortly after 2 p.m. to begin the long-awaited tear-down, according to Assistant City Manager Carl Simpson.
Lindamood’s demolition crew was able to be brought in ahead of schedule due to the safety-related concerns relating to structural damage caused by the fire, The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Dallas Express took a trip up to the abandoned mall to get a first-hand view of the demolition process and to gauge how much work lies ahead for the crew. It is safe to say they still have a long way to go, with only a small section currently underway on the side of Valley View Mall that once hung the giant AMC movie theater sign.
In addition to visiting what’s left of the 300,000-square-foot building, The Dallas Express reached out to Lindamood for comment but had not heard back by the publication deadline.
Demolition is expected to take 90 days, which includes tear-down and clean-up, according to Dallas City Council Member Jaynie Schultz, per The Dallas Morning News.
“Our firefighters being hurt was enough of an argument to the state that there was a mortal danger to leaving the building standing as is,” Council Member Schultz told the DMN. “This is something that should have been done a long time ago.”
The sudden blaze at the former Valley View Mall left two Dallas firefighters with non-life-threatening injuries Thursday. One member of Dallas Fire-Rescue remains in the hospital in stable condition and the other was sent home Thursday, Evans told The Dallas Express.
Valley View Mall opened in Dallas off Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway and Preston Road in the 1970s. It was a popular destination for shopping and entertainment up until its 2015 closure.
The dilapidated mall has remained in a state of limbo ever since. Developer Scott Beck, CEO of Beck Ventures, told The Dallas Express last August that construction on Dallas Midtown – rebranded the International District – would be postponed until economic conditions improved. Since then, economic conditions have worsened, though, and the structure has become a safety and crime risk.
“Dallas deserves safe structures, a strong International District, and a vibrant new development on the site of the former Valley View Mall,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement first reported by DMN. “This is a major step forward on every front.”
