Drive north toward Diana, along the fastest-growing stretch of commerce in Gregg County.
Dotting the roadway, “For Sale” signs announce acres of skinny pine trees and fields that have been cleared in anticipation of new building. Strings of retailers, car lots and other commercial properties line the major thoroughfare, U.S. 259.
It’s no secret that Longview is sprawling northward. That’s where the land is.
“Inner-city Longview is built out. There are not larger tracts available to develop,” said Michael Shirley, Longview’s interim city planner. “A lot of growth north obviously is for available land.”
City planners are projecting rapid expansion over the next three decades to the north and northeast of town. The developed areas of Longview within Loop 281 and west of Eastman Road, however, are expected to decline in population.
As established retailers pick up and move north, they leave behind gaping holes in older, established retail landscapes – some that would appear to be in the most desirable areas in Longview, based on the city’s demographic evaluations and traffic studies.
Take the corner of Gilmer Road and Loop 281, for instance.
Prime spots sit empty
On paper, Gilmer Road and the loop seem to form a prime intersection for retail business. Traffic is heavy, and the people who live nearby are among the wealthier residents in Longview.
But the large space that once housed the Stein Mart department store sits vacant, and Stein Mart’s neighbor, Hobby Lobby, is moving to a more northeastern spot that became available when Target jumped even farther north, to a brand-new development on North Eastman Road at Hawkins Parkway.
Head west, and the former Wal-Mart on Loop 281 in the Pine Tree area also remains empty. It closed several years ago to make room for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter further north of the loop, on Gilmer Road.
“We’ve seen a lot of that jumping locations,” Shirley said. “It’s not as cost-effective to level an area and start over. Unfortunately, it’s causing the city to push out and sprawl out, because you can go out and buy farmland that is cheaper to start new than to go in and rehab. A lot of times remodeling is very expensive.”
Longview no different than Dallas
Retail patterns in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex also apply to Longview, said Matt Strickland, vice president of the Dallas real estate development and investment firm Weber & Company. Strickland’s company developed Target’s new Longview location on North Eastman Road and has developed sites for several Targets in and around the Metroplex.
Big boxes such as Target try to find undeveloped areas that are targeted for future growth, he said.
“If the population and demand are still strong in the existing location, and there is an opportunity to redevelop, I think retailers will consider that,” Strickland said. “But given the rapid expansion at least here in the Metroplex, retailers try to get in front of growth. It has prompted them to search for sites more on the perimeter, and ultimately tie up the land to service that growth.”
The way of the future
Longview’s next major development on the north side of town is slated for timber land held for more than a century by the family of former mayor Earl Roberts Jr.
The Roberts family plans an upscale mixed-use “lifestyle center” that it has named Oak Creek, with plans for restaurants, boutiques and offices, said Don Carroll, a principal partner in the Tyler-based company that is marketing the development.
“That’s where retail centers are heading as a whole,” Carroll said. “A lifestyle center is a gathering place for customers and shoppers. It offers a variety of types of goods and services, and it’s more community oriented. It’s a place to gather, a place to relax, a place to shop, a place to eat.”
The nearly 150 acres saddle McCann Road and North Judson Road, north of Loop 281.
“That area north of the loop is, in our minds, a very strategic part of Longview’s future growth. We feel that eventually there will be more and more rooftops locating in that area of Longview, and with rooftops come restaurants, retail and offices,” said Carroll, with the real estate firm Landbridge Commercial Properties, formerly the Perry B. Hall Co.
Lifestyle vs. retail
The architecture is appealing. The boutiques are nice. People enjoy lifestyle centers, and they have been very successful in the past five to 10 years, said Strickland, the developer of Longview’s new Target.
“It’s truly an entertainment destination,” he said. “You can walk around and make a day of it.”
But that’s not necessarily the force that drives Target stores, he added.
“Retail centers offer everyday services and products that people need to get in and get out and get on with their lives,” he said. “I think different types of consumers at certain times need to run in and get something from Target, and other times they are looking for that entertainment and wanting to have more of a full shopping experience.”
In the long term, Strickland said, lifestyle centers and more traditional retail strip centers will coexist peacefully.
“We particularly believe you need to stay with the fundamentals of real estate, and that is great signage, good ingress and egress, well-lit centers, plenty of parking, key tenants,” he said. “Getting back to real estate basics are ultimately what consumers are going to want.”
Oak Creek buzz
Longview’s economic players are excited about the plans for the Roberts family’s lifestyle center.
“You see it working in some larger cities. People can work or shop near their homes and get out and walk and enjoy and not really use their cars,” Shirley said. “It’s more of an experience that replicates a downtown. You feel like you’re in a historic district.”
Carroll said it is too early to say what amenities will be offered at this particular lifestyle center.
“In some you see a place for outdoor gatherings and concerts on a smaller scale. There’s parklike areas for the young children. The sidewalks, the parks, the amphitheater, all that ties together as a gathering place,” he said. “This just gives an additional alternative.
“Commercial retail business is in a constant evolution. It continually reinvents itself over time to stay at pace with what the consumers are looking for. They have to continually reinvent themselves.”
And, in Longview, move north.
110 responses to “Go north, young town”
Simply wanna input that you have a very nice web site , I enjoy the pattern it really stands out.
713848 911399I admire your work , regards for all of the beneficial weblog posts. 242443
732400 724864The next time I just read a weblog, I really hope which it doesnt disappoint me up to this 1. Get real, Yes, it was my choice to read, but I personally thought youd have something fascinating to convey. All I hear can be a handful of whining about something you could fix within the event you werent too busy trying to find attention. 105818
726419 804862Some really quality posts on this web site , saved to favorites . 670271
267235 815451What a lovely weblog. I will certainly be back once more. Please preserve writing! 276101
793611 952114Trop excitant de mater des femmes lesbiennes en train de se doigter la chatte pour se faire jouir. En plus sur cette bonne petite vid o porno hard de lesb X les deux jeunes lesbienne sont trop excitantes et super sexy. Des pures beaut de la nature avec des courbes parfaites, les filles c est quand v 628482
449747 439947I can?t say that I completely agree, but then once more I?ve never truly thought of it quite like that before. Thanks for giving me something to take into consideration when I?m supposed to have an empty mind while trying to fall asleep tonight lol.. 863552
341087 293332I?m glad to become a visitor in this pure internet site, regards for this rare info! 72085
890869 220056I?m so happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that?s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc. 565987
359262 568380Hi there, I identified your blog by way of Google while searching for initial aid for a heart attack and your post looks very intriguing for me. 494158
59799 894898This write-up contains fantastic original thinking. The informational content here proves that issues aren?t so black and white. I feel smarter from just reading this. 656355
343719 24738I surely didn?t comprehend that. Learnt a thing new today! Thanks for that. 76594
595295 198635I feel this web web site has extremely superb composed topic material articles . 707926
956940 794740It shows how you comprehend this topic. Added this page, is for a lot more. 854840
72262 701213I like this web site quite considerably, Its a genuinely good post to read and get info . 340908
910121 471167great submit, very informative. 825584
168180 198625I agree completely with what you said. Wonderful Stuff. Maintain it going.. 874642
870628 686728Hi, Thanks for your page. I discovered your page by way of Bing and hope you keep providing much more good articles. 569070
347479 233918Spot on with this write-up, I actually assume this internet site needs much more consideration. I?ll probably be once a lot more to read far much more, thanks for that information. 492835
943965 435819Gnarly article mate, maintain the good work, just shared this with ma friendz 608985
310668 630611Vi ringrazio, considero che quello che ho letto sia ottimo 478142
615777 629962I don?t generally comment but I gotta state thanks for the post on this great 1 : D. 323473
357133 542148Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was performing a bit research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I identified it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch! 946386
purchase enclomiphene cheap canada
buying enclomiphene generic from canada
sans ordonnance kamagra generique
pharmacie en ligne kamagra
ordering androxal canada over the counter
order androxal american express
flexeril cyclobenzaprine online no rx
ordering flexeril cyclobenzaprine cost effectiveness
buying dutasteride generic cheap
buy dutasteride next day delivery
get gabapentin generic tablets
generic gabapentin canadian co no prescription
purchase fildena buy generic
discount fildena generic fildena
order itraconazole buy sydney
No perscription required itraconazole
get staxyn price in us
buy cheap staxyn generic uae
avodart price comparison
order avodart canada generic
purchase rifaximin buy uk no prescription
get rifaximin cost effectiveness
get xifaxan cheap with fast shipping
how to buy xifaxan buy uk no prescription
kamagra p?es noc fedex
kamagra dodání p?es noc
458343 248596Some genuinely marvellous function on behalf with the owner of this web website, utterly outstanding content material. 514482
829821 100414I love your wordpress design, where would you get a hold of it through? 8261
811623 183102Amazing blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Many thanks 339782
797715 563000Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything in this way before. So good to uncover somebody with some original suggestions on this subject. realy appreciate starting this up. this outstanding site is something that is needed more than the internet, a person if we do originality. valuable function for bringing something new towards the web! 150417
319930 762733I genuinely adore the theme on your site, I run a internet website , and i would adore to use this theme. Is it a free of charge style, or is it custom? 767508
?????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ?
????
??????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ? ????
??????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????? ? ????
??????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ? ????
???????????????????? ?
???? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ?
????
??????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????
? ????
??????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ? ????
?????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????? ? ????
It is truly a great and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you just shared this useful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.