Expanded retail 'strip' suits neighborhood, tenants say

By Chris Leeds, Staff Reporter
Dallas Voice
Reprinted by permission

A small strip of Cedar Springs establishments, previously known as a haunt for vagrants and unsavory types, now sits freshly renovated with luxury cars lining the lot while Uptown and Highland Park shoppers browse inside.

With investing from Caven Enterprises, Inc., 4024 Cedar Springs is home to a lavish piano bar, a sassy shoe store and a crowded clothing outlet, with a restaurant on the way.

Gone are a handful of fly-by-night bars, says Jack Polachek, CEO of Caven Enterprises, which already owns almost a block-and-a-half along Cedar Springs from Sue Ellen's to Buster's Burritos.

The new residents say they're pleased with their new digs.

Marty McNiel, owner of Sole Kitchen, which specializes in uncommon footwear and accessories for men and women, said he agreed with the landlord that shopping, not dining, should be the highest priority along the strip.

"They really wanted retail in here," McNiel said. "A lot of places I visited on Lower Greenville wanted restaurants, because you can make faster money with restaurants. Retail takes a little longer to make money, but I was glad to see Caven backing us."

McNiel said that more shopping opportunities bring a greater sense and identity of community.

Outlines co-owner Todd Seaton said his company's decision to occupy a new space was less of an option. The store's previous landlord terminated the four-year-old clothing store's lease. The owner at their previous location at 4008 Cedar Springs Rd. signed a new lease with a national pharmacy chain, giving Outlines no choice about moving.

"We were informed around Dec. 1 that we had to vacate our space, because they had brought CVS Pharmacy in at a much higher rate," Seaton said. "They didn't even give us a chance to bid on it."

Outlines executives knew of development plans for the new retail space and quickly concluded negotiations to move up the street.

Seaton said the move was "the best thing, could have ever happened" to the store.

"Business is way up. We were worried about being further down on the strip, but our customers followed us down," Seaton said. "I don't think we lost a one. I don't know if it's the drive-up appeal or what, but people are just coming in more."

Outlines' new location provides more than twice the frontage, making the store more noticeable, brighter and easier to arrange, Seaton said. And the move was accomplished quickly, he said.

"We basically finished out the spaces to provide [the tenants] what they call in the industry a 'white box,'" Polachek said. "We picked the tenants as early as we could, so from the beginning we could coordinate the types of things that they wanted in their space along with the original construction that was being done."

Working as a team, Caven and McNiel saved time which is typically spent having to renovate for tenants' specific needs. "It wasn't something that we built and then had to go back and rebuild because of the types of businesses they had," Polachek said.

McNiel said the location is ideal for specialty retail shops such as Sole Kitchen. Retailers along Cedar Springs Road can draw shoppers in Oak Lawn, the Uptown-MicKinney neighborhood, Highland Park and Oak Cliff, he said.

McNiel, who'd looked at storefronts in Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville and was about to sign for a spot on McKinney Avenue, said none could beat the price of the Cedar Springs location.

Initially seeking to purchase the property, Caven had to settle with a ten-year ground lease, which allowed them to sublet the space. The latest addition makes Caven landlord or owner to about a dozen businesses along the strip, including bars, retail, dining and other businesses.

Not all are pleased about the growing stake Caven has in the Oak Lawn area. Critics worry that sole ownership of too much property in the heart of Dallas' gay community may threaten the sense of individuality and variety which has long prevailed in the area.

But McNiel said the alternative was to watch the property grow stagnant.

"It had the potential of going either way. It could expand and grow, or it could just dwindle down to nothing. I'm glad to see it happen," McNeil said.

Polachek's response to critics: consider the improvement his company has made.

Soul Kitchen manager Michelle Aleman said she's not worried about another community fear - that the neighborhood's advantages for retailers may induce large chain stores to move into the area, threatening the smaller, independent owners.

"People from Dallas - whether from Deep Ellum, Oak Lawn, Highland Park - are looking for things that are unique. They don't want to look and dress like everyone else," said Aleman. "They don't want to go to walk in somewhere and see someone with their shoes on or their shirt or skirt or glasses."

As long as people strive to be unique, a "big deal to people who live in Dallas," then small specialty boutiques won't be vanquished by stores such as Banana Republic or GAP, the Fort Worth native added.

Seaton said the success of the newly-renovated area merely reinforces a belief he's had about Oak Lawn for some time.

"It's kind of getting like South Beach, trendy, a popular place to go," Seaton said. "People are coming down because there's lots to do. It isn't just the bars anymore. It's everything - shopping, dining and the the bars."