Mike Geisler: Who knew? A Bridge as an Anchor.

May 15, 2014

I have been to a couple of conferences recently where a hot discussion topic has centered on the anchors in today’s retail centers. Of course there are the traditional anchors—grocery stores and discounters like Walmart and Target. But lately there is more discussion about the value of nontraditional anchors, such as restaurants and even “the place” itself.

Yes, the environments themselves create an experience. This sounds new but it is not. In Europe, the cafes often have large outdoor patios and overlook a square or a fountain. In this example, the anchor is actually the public space. In Dallas, Klyde Warren Park, I would argue, is the anchor for the restaurants that surround it.

So what is the anchor for Trinity Groves? Is it the restaurants? Partially, but I believe the anchor is the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Once referred to as “the bridge to nowhere,” it is now known as “the bridge to Trinity Groves.”

I find it fascinating that, in less than two years, Trinity Groves has gained significant market awareness. What caused that? Obviously, Phil Romano and Butch McGregor are great visionaries and strong marketers, but so is Jim Lake and others who have helped build the Bishop Arts District. It has taken about 15 years for Bishop Arts to gain the awareness that it has now, and still a significant percentage of North Dallas and Collin County residents have never been there. In contrast, Trinity Groves has built a strong identity in a very short time.

I believe this is greatly due to the iconic bridge that is visible from 10 miles away. Although many people had previously not ever visited this part of West Dallas, they had heard of the new restaurant district “that is just past the new bridge.” Even though people may not have known how to get there for the first time, it was easy to figure out, in great part due to the stature of the bridge itself.

I never tire of looking at this bridge, and I always get a wonderful stimulating feeling leaving Trinity Groves and facing our stunning urban skyline.