Mixed-use development is planned in city's downtown

By SALLY CLAUNCH
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

ARLINGTON - Apartments, retail shopping and fried chicken could be added next to Johnnie High's Country Music Revue in a $30 million project in downtown Arlington.
Within the next two years, Burk Collins, a Hurst developer, and High are hoping to bring in Babe's Chicken Dinner House next to the old theater, add stores on the venue's north and south sides, and call it Center Street Station. The revue, near Center and Division streets, specializes in nurturing the careers of young country singers, including LeAnn Rimes.

Babe's, which is famous for its fried chicken, has several locations in North Texas, including in Roanoke and Burleson.

Babe's co-owner, Paul Vinyard, said he expects to serve about 300,000 to 350,000 family-style meals in the first year. He said the project should work well because Arlington is centrally located, has a lot of tourists and a new stadium, and the area is being refurbished.

In November, the city completed $1 million worth of improvements, including new lighting, benches, sidewalks, plants and brick gateways to encourage businesses to move to downtown.

Collins said he hopes that people who go to hear country music will shop at Center Street Station and that chicken lovers will get exposed to country music.

Plans call for the center to include boutique-type specialty stores, restaurants with outdoor seating and a roof-top pool terrace.

Three buildings are to include retail space on the bottom floor plus four or five floors of apartments and some office space. Two other buildings are to include parking on the first level with apartments above. High's stage will be expanded to accommodate larger acts, such as Symphony Arlington.

This is one of the first big developments to come to downtown that has a large housing component, about 179 units that would be mostly apartments.

The venture is different for Collins, who typically develops large shopping centers with big-box stores.

However, he is no stranger to country music or Johnnie High. He and High have known each other for 35 years, and occasionally, Collins will sing a little Merle Haggard at the theater. He calls himself the Singing Developer.

Collins said his company still has about four or five months worth of design work before he can break ground. Babe's could open around 2009. Other portions of the project could open before then.

Maggie Campbell, Arlington downtown coordinator, said the project is what the city has been looking for as it tries to redevelop the area.

"It hits a lot of objectives -- entertainment, apartments, fine dining and historic preservation," she said. "Johnnie High's been down here by himself, packing the house every Friday and Saturday night. This will be open seven nights."

Mayor Robert Cluck said: "It's exactly the type of activity we want downtown. We want it to be a fun place."

Robert Sturns, the city's Economic Development manager, said he has been talking to Collins about possible incentives from the city, such as tax abatements or a tax increment finance district to help pay for improvements.

But the project could be a hard sell given the history of downtown projects that have failed.

For example, a developer bought the old Vandergriff building on Center Street in 2003 for a mixed-use project, but it is mostly boarded up and empty.

Also, the new Vandergriff Town Center, which opened in October on Division Street, just east of the theater, has no tenants on the first floor, but the top floor has offices.

Collins said his concept will work because of the revue, the chicken, the proximity to the University of Texas at Arlington, and because it adds housing downtown.

High said times have changed. With the Cowboys stadium coming and the other tourist attractions in the city, "People will be lined up like at the Grand Ole Opry," he said.

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