Plans are moving forward to resurrect the portion of Lakewood Shopping Center destroyed by an arsonist in June and razed in August.
The owners plan to duplicate the original design of the building, including the landmark circular entry with its conical roof, says property manager Tim Kirk of Texas Commercial Properties.
Dallas architect Scott Stone of Stone Lowrey Architects was hired in August to make detailed drawings of the building as it was before the fire. These plans, using photographs and old architectural drawings for reference, are to be submitted to the City – possibly as early as September – for review, Kirk says. City officials already have given the owners approval to follow the original “footprint” of the burned structure when rebuilding, he says.
“As soon as we get approval (on the structural plans) back from the City, we will schedule construction,” Kirk says.
The private investors who own the site plan to be as faithful as possible to the original structure, using masonry, marble and other materials where indicated, Kirk says.
While the facade should appear the same, updated construction techniques will be used in some cases to conform to current building codes and materials, stone says.
In anticipation of reconstruction and to eliminate a potential hazard, demolition workers finished clearing fire-damaged rubble from the site on the 6300 block of Gaston Avenue in August. So far, however, there is no timetable or cost estimate for construction, Kirk says.
Fire officials say the investigation into who started the late-night fire and why they did so is ongoing. The fire destroyed five storefronts – four that were occupied and one that was vacant – and caused an estimated $750,000 in damage.
The fire didn’t damage any other portion of the shopping center, although some merchants reported a drop in business, which they attributed to the belief that the fire had destroyed more of the center.
Meanwhile, three of the four businesses that were destroyed have reopened at other locations.
• Cafe Brazil, which had planned to relocate to the empty LeCour’s Blue Front building prior to the fire, opened Aug. 6. The new restaurant at 2221 Abrams Road is larger than the previous location, providing not only extensive indoor seating but also a patio in front and open-air tables under a roofed area on one side. Hours are 7 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday. The phone number is 826-9522.
• Paperbacks Plus reopened Aug. 10 at 1922 Greenville in the old Shakespeare Books storefront. Owner John Tilton says he considers the smaller space an interim location that will serve East Dallas customers until the Lakewood site is rebuilt. At least in the short term, shoppers will see another familiar face at Paperbacks Plus: Patty Turner, former owner of Shakespeare Books (which closed July 17), has been helping John and wife Marquetta since the night of the fire, and is working part-time. Store hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. The phone number is 827-4860.
• Printing Please, which had to acquire equipment and install it at a new storefront on the plaza level of the First Interstate Bank Building, was scheduled to open in August. Owner Suzanne Senor said her plans were delayed by several snags, including doors that are too narrow for the massive printing equipment. In mid-August, Senor was forced to hire a company to temporarily remove a front window at the new site to enable movers to install some of the machinery. The new store, at 6301 Gaston, Suite 190, will be open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays. The phone number is 823-6122.
Kirk says he has not heard from the owners of the Lakewood Lighthouse Seafood Grill and is unaware of their plans. A fifth business previously mentioned as being destroyed in the fire, Uniglobe Travel, had moved out of the building prior to the fire.
