Lakewood Shopping Center
Lincoln Property Company bought a portion of the Lakewood Shopping Center a couple of years ago, and since then several old tenants have gone and new tenants have come. Last year, Lincoln also purchased the old White Rock YMCA and Far West nightclub property at Gaston-Garland-Grand, with plans to overhaul it.
In the meantime, we’ve watched major transformations happen at the Lakewood Shopping Center. Some of it has been good, like new columns, a new roof, and an entirely new surface. Other parts have been a little more bittersweet, such as when Lincoln took the clock above Dixie House down, until neighbors flooded their social media pages and email inboxes demanding that it be put back. Lincoln responded to the concern quickly, saying they were cleaning the clock and would put it back up at a later date.
Lincoln also majorly reconfigured the south end of the shopping center to make room for a brand-new breezeway. Lincoln also commissioned an artist to paint several paintings around the building.
Dixie House
Neighbors often ask about the future of Dixie House, which has been a staple in the Lakewood Shopping Center for 35 years, but corporate says it’s been smooth sailing for the restaurant. There are no plans of moving — amicably or otherwise. “Dixie House has been here more than 30 years, and we’re not going anywhere,” says Wes Oliver with marketing and operations.
Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is, indeed, leaving its longtime spot in the Lakewood Shopping Center at Gaston and Abrams, but we’re not losing it altogether. Ace is moving down the street to the soon-to-begin-construction Arboretum Village at Gaston-Garland-Grand. Last we heard, Khando Nagar, the owner of Ace Hardware, isn’t sure when Ace will be moving to its new location, or what will take its place.
20/20 Sight
20/20 Sight, an optometrist and eyeglass-frame store, opened in the back end of Lakewood Shopping Center in November. This is their third location. The practice was started in Grand Prairie in 1999, and they expanded to Forney in 2006.
Vacant space (between Liberty Burger and Ali Baba)
Last summer, at the same time as the construction on the breezeway, Lincoln also gutted the space between Liberty Burger and Ali Baba, making it into three spaces instead of two. One of the spaces became 20/20 Sights, and one became Unleashed by Petco. The third is still vacant.
Unleashed by Petco
Unleashed by Petco opened at the end of September. Unleashed by Petco is basically a Petco with a smaller footprint. The company’s website, which says Unleashed hit the scene in 2009 with a location in San Diego, says, “Our concept is simple — provide the same knowledge and know-how offered by Petco in a unique, smaller package.”
Beads of Splendor
The owner of Beads of Splendor, Diana Thatcher, requested that she be allowed out of her lease when construction on the shopping center began. She says that at first she was told it wouldn’t be a problem, but that once it came down to the wire, Lincoln told her she wouldn’t be able to leave after all.
Vacant space (between Liberty Burger and Beads of Splendor)
A new vacant space was created during the construction. At this point, we don’t know what it’ll be.
Liberty Burger
The former spaces of the School of Contemporary Ballet Dallas and Catalina 5G Boutique were completely overhauled in 2013 to make room for Liberty Burger and a new breezeway. Lincoln spent months knocking out walls, tearing up the floor and making several other major changes to the space. Then Liberty Burger started their part of the construction, dressing the bones to make it “look like a Liberty Burger.” The breezeway was completed first, and in early November, Liberty Burger revealed its end result — a spacious room lined with massive floor-to-ceiling windows. They also took special care to make sure everything was as handmade as possible, from the tables and chairs to the hand-welded light fixtures.
Organicity (vacant space between Uptown Yoga and the public walk way)
Greek restaurant Organicity was locked out of its building in the Lakewood Shopping Center. In September, the lights were turned off and the doors were locked tight. A notice on the door stated that the reason for the lockout and termination of lease for the restaurant at 1906 Abrams was “nonpayment of rent.” Organicity is owned by Gino and Olina Nikolini, who, according to their website, are from Thessaloniki in the Macedonian region of Greece. They pulled from their own Greek heritage for the menu, and they also prided themselves on serving organic dishes. Olina Nikolini said after the fact that they were planning their next move, but she wouldn’t elaborate. The space is currently vacant, and we don’t yet know what might go there.
Floss Dental
Floss Dental replaced the UPS store at the beginning of the year.
