Lakewood revitalization. Photo courtesy of G. William Jones Collection at SMU via YouTube.

In 1975, Lakewood Shopping Center had a combination of old and new elements.

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Updates had been made to the area around Swiss Avenue and Bryan Parkway, causing an increase in foot traffic. Swiss Avenue also gained a historic designation in 1973, which inspired preservation efforts.

But even though the shopping center had been a central gathering spot for the neighborhood since the 1930s, when the Lakewood Theater and the Diener-Mills building were built, retailers were afraid their shops would begin to see fewer customers and deterioration, as was the case in older parts of town.

So planners wanted to revamp the area, adding malls, parks, outdoor cafes and more. They also wanted to increase walkability and preserve the small, local businesses. Gaston was planned to be a boulevard.

The central goals were to attract people to the shopping center and preserve the historical structures and small businesses.

Over the years, ownership of the shopping center has changed hands, and tenants have come and gone. The clock has been taken down and reinstalled multiple times.

Throughout all the changes, neighbors have fought for preservation.

See more about the plan in the old WFAA video below. It’s from the G. William Jones Collection at SMU.