The biggest tip-off that the above picture is a rendering of Victory Park and not a photo isn't the color saturation or its overall sketchbook quality. It's the presence of human beings, who have tended to steer clear of the rather forbidding development when there's not a Mavs game or a Lady Gaga concert.
Enter Fort Worth-based Trademark Property, which was brought in last year in hopes of breathing new life into the project. So far, Trademark has mostly busied itself with envisioning new parking garages. But starting last week, they began dropping details of a more comprehensive plan to remake Victory Park.
"I believe in two or three years you will see a completely different Victory Park," the development's vice president, Lance Fair, told The Dallas Morning News' Steve Brown.
The new Victory Park will have two-way streets, a movie theater (possibly), landscaping that softens the development's hard edges, and better signage. But the biggest focus is on bringing actual shops and restaurants to fill now-vacant storefronts, and on increasing the amount of retail space.
Judging from the renderings, Trademark is trying to create something along the lines of an outdoor NorthPark, modern but inviting with aesthetic flourishes and a decent amount of green space. Doing that won't be easy or cheap, but Trademark's CEO says the company has learned from past mistakes and is confident it can correct them.
"We can see what's broken, and we've figured out what is frustrating people," he told the Morning News. "What Victory still has is location, location, location."
You'll find more pictures below. We don't want to get your hopes up, but one looks like it might feature a "cake shack." Or maybe it's a "shake shack." Either way, sounds delicious.
