End of an era on Fry?
Patrons and retailers concerned over plans to raze area buildings
02:44 PM CDT on Friday, July 21, 2006
Date of original publication: Thursday, May 11, 2006 News that a part of Denton's eclectic Fry Street was under new ownership flashed like fire among students, residents and business owners Wednesday. As rumors swirled about the fate of the off-campus hangout area in the past few weeks, a Houston-based developer bought most of the 100 block of Fry Street surrounded by Hickory, Oak and Welch streets for an undetermined amount. This week, the developer announced plans to raze many of the buildings, some dating to the 1920s. The area across the street from the University of North Texas campus has served as the food-and-pub home base for Denton college students for generations. Plans call for a new retail center with restaurants and shops. By Wednesday, students were taping "Save Fry Street" signs to store windows and planning their next steps on Myspace.com Web pages to protest plans for the new shopping center. "We don't want corporations moving in," said Leah Becker-Roberts, a Denton resident who lives near the three-block strip of businesses geared mostly toward the college crowd. "We don't want Starbucks, Walgreens or CVS." United Equities Inc. of Bellaire, a suburb of Houston, bought seven buildings with about 16 independent business owners, after a North Texas broker brought the property to the developer, according to the company's president, Buster Freedman. The current zoning is "downtown center general," which allows for retail, restaurants, private clubs and multifamily housing. What attracted the developer was the potential of finding property close to UNT and not on the outskirts of town, where other major developments are planned. “We just thought this would be a nice piece of property to try to do a retail development on," Freedman said. "I think the demographics and the proximity to Denton and the college made it a very interesting property." The plan, Freedman said, was to bring a mix of tenants including a national drugstore chain and several of the local businesses. "There sure will be room for the local flavor as far as other people who want to come into Denton for their first location," he said, adding that a CVS Pharmacy or Walgreens could serve the students and residents, as could a local restaurant next door, a Starbucks or a new bookstore like Borders. "There's no hidden agenda," Freedman said. "We don't have Neiman Marcus coming in." Known as the University Town Center, the proposed project for the 3.57-acre area calls for a mix of retail stores with the possibility of apartments and other housing. Construction is expected in the next six to nine months - a typical amount of time, Freedman said, depending on the permit process with communities. "A lot of these types of properties take six to eight months to build," he said, adding that he hoped to open the new retail center by fall 2007. "We don't necessarily expect to be 80 to 90 percent occupied before we break ground." Longtime Denton landowner Curtis Loveless said the time was right to sell the property, which he has managed for more than 30 years. "It was time for me to do it," he said, adding that had more than 25 to 30 people talk to him over the years about buying the Fry Street property, long considered a haven since the 1960s, when the first fast-food restaurants moved in and became popular hangouts for the collegiate crowd. The area has also been the home for the 17-year-old Fry Street Fair, the Delta Lodge's popular region-wide festival featuring alternative bands. One former UNT student, Mary Moses of Denton, said she recalled the Fry Street area from her days on campus in 1966 to 1970. "I just remember it was a kind of a calm in the storm. It was a place where people shared ideas, went to sit and talk," she said. Loveless recalled when many of the buildings were built. Uncommon Grounds offers an array of caffeinated products in a building built in 1958. Texas Jive is in a former Pizza Hut building built in 1968, about the same time the now-vacant grocery store was built at Oak and Welch streets. The popular Mr. Chopsticks restaurant, now larger than its original location, moved into a former gas station 22 years ago. Loveless, whose father bought a place a few doors up, on Hickory Street, in 1945 and opened a photography studio, said the sale wasn't an easy decision. "One thing was hard for me," he said. "We've owned something in that area for over 60 years. It's kind of sad to say that's the end of it ... but it has to progress." Neighboring UNT UNT President Norval Pohl said Wednesday he was not aware the property had been sold or that there was a plan for redeveloping the area. Pohl said it was possible that Chancellor Lee Jackson or Vice Chancellor Rich Escalante had discussed the plan with the developer, but he did not know. Jackson and Escalante could not be reached for comment. Pohl said that about two years ago, he and some other university officials had talked to a different developer who was interested in buying property in that area and bringing in Starbucks, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and other "upscale" businesses. Pohl said he was in favor of that idea because it would create a nice entrance to the university campus, but the plan never came to fruition. He doesn't know about this planned development or how closely it will compare to that idea. "On the surface, I think it has great potential," Pohl said. "Of course we want something that will stay in business. But our enrollment is going to keep increasing, and the more services and the more variety we can provide our students, the better." Pohl said he could understand some students' concerns that such a move would hurt college life, but it wouldn't necessarily mean the end of a vibrant campus life. "Maybe they can preserve part of the culture but also have the opportunity to add some more upscale restaurants or businesses," Pohl said. Fry Street reacts Less than 48 hours after the sale was complete, Fry Street's cultural movers and shakers started organizing. Chris Flemmons, the singer and guitarist for the Denton-based Baptist Generals, said he has a "deep sentimental attachment to the Fry Street area." Flemmons said he doesn't object to economic development in Denton, but has reservations about what it might mean. "My concern is that this culturally sensitive area has some kind of voice in this plan," Flemmons said. "I'm one of those people who has no problem with the box stores plopping down on the loop [Loop 288]. But when you start scraping the downtown area and Fry Street, changing the architectural identity of central Denton, well, that concerns me." Flemmons said he hopes the creative community will organize to start talking - and fast. As far as the musician is concerned, Denton's distinct identity is somewhat sacred. "My band started out on Fry Street, literally on the stoop right outside of The Corkscrew," he said. "This is the kind of progress you can't curb, but I want to make sure whatever is built there is a reflection of the culture." Sitting around an outdoor patio table at Uncommon Grounds, several UNT students were ready to join any efforts to preserve the Fry Street business district. "This whole area is the only culture I think Denton has," said Kellie Moses, 25, a sophomore at UNT and lifelong Denton resident. "They are trying to homogenize Denton and you can't," said Jamie Stine, 26, a sophomore who lives in Ponder. "The college drives the economy, especially in this part of town," said Eden Perkins, 20, of Dallas, who also is a sophomore at UNT. Many of the businesses, from The Tomato to Mr. Chopsticks, have claimed the lead in grabbing the younger university market. Other smaller businesses, often started by UNT alumni, have come and gone. Clubs such as Cool Beans to Texas Jive are hangouts for the many musicians who grace the stages along the strip. "I have a younger sister coming [to UNT] this fall and that's where I'm telling her to go," Perkins said of the numerous unique venues. Phillip Snow and Leslie Eblen, carrying hand-drawn posters depicting Fry Street and the slogan "Save Fry Street," were the first of several groups touting plans to keep the historic area intact. "This is not just where I go to school, this is home and has been for a number of years," Snow said, adding he felt compelled to create a Web site on MySpace.com to keep residents informed about the project. Several groups are asking residents to vote in Saturday's City Council election as a first step to protect the area, Snow said. The group next plans a door-to-door campaign with information on upcoming council and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, addressing the Fry Street project, he said. "I wouldn't like to see any of the current businesses destroyed," Snow said. "Fry Street has been the cultural center for a long time." Denton resident Leah Becker-Roberts agreed. "When I first heard of this, my hope for Denton just started draining and I said, 'Oh, no. I've got to do something.' "If these businesses get taken away, it'll be humdrum like any other city," she said. Looking ahead Mike Slusarski and his wife, Becky, have been a part of The Tomato restaurant at Hickory and Fry streets since it opened in 1984. As managers, the couple saw the restaurant become an icon among students over the years. Formerly known as The Flying Tomato, the restaurant features a wooden maze of seating arrangements arranged like small lofts. The couple bought the business in 1996, changing the name to The Tomato in 1998. Slusarski said he has looked at several spots in Golden Triangle Mall but has found they aren't cost-effective. Julie Glover, Denton Downtown Development director, said that according to the proposal that she's seen, the rents at the new project would almost triple for merchants. Some business owners say that would leave a slim chance that any of the current tenants could return. Lou Delaney, owner of Lucky Lou's bar across the street from Cool Beans and Texas Jive, said, after looking at the plans, the chances for any of the tenants to return is slim to none. "Maybe new people or new businesses [will come in], but these people are gone," Delaney said. Cool Beans' building is not among those bought by the Houston company, though the back half of the club's space - its game room - will be gone once the area is razed. "It's not good news, but it's survivable," said Delaney, who, with other Denton residents, co-owns several restaurants and bars. Mark Neuroth, owner of Java Flakes cereal eatery, said the owners are "up in the air" for now as they await more news from the building's new owner. "They really haven't told us what they're going to do," he said. Neuroth predicts the new owners will have some difficulties with filling their new project. "If they go to the trouble to tear this down and rebuild, they're going to want more rent and I'm not sure anybody can pay it," he said. "Unless they want some businesses opening and closing." With owners left wondering about the future and when changes will occur, Mr. Chopsticks owner Numchai "Chai" Tamprateep said the news hit especially hard. "I'm kind of sad right now because I've been here for 22 years," said Tamprateep, whose restaurant is a popular lunch spot for both students and residents. Tamprateep recently opened another location, Quick Stir, on Scripture Street soon after hearing about the rumors of a pending sale. Because he has another business to run, Tamprateep said he is more fortunate than some of his neighbors, though he's still shocked and torn up about the future. "I think when they tear the building down, I'm going to be crying. I'm a man but I'm going to be crying," he said. "This is my baby." Staff writers Todd Jorgenson, Lucinda Breeding, Matthew Zabel, Brooke Scoggins and Harmony Browning contributed to this report. DAWN COBB can be reached at 940-566-6879. Her e-mail address is dcobb@dentonrc.com. The following businesses in buildings now owned by United Equities Inc. of Bellaire, a suburb of Houston, will be torn down: - Mr. Chopsticks - The Tomato - Texas Jive - Naranja Cafe - Bagheri Italian Restaurant - Spirit Station - Java Flakes - Uncommon Grounds - Treasure Aisles - Bottoms Up - Talon Comics Shop -University of North Texas Police Department satellite office - Vacant call center (former grocery store) The sale did not include: - Campus Barber Shop - Alter Ego Vintage - Corkscrew at Fry and Oak streets - Half of Cool Beans off Hickory Street - Property owned by Joe Normile --Dawn Cobb 
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