Bill Hutchinson Offloads Dallas Retail Amid Lawsuits

The Shops at Mockingbird in Dallas is the latest property to be offloaded by disgraced developer Bill Hutchinson’s firm Dunhill Partners.

Crow Holdings Capital purchased the 77,000-square-foot shopping center at 4550 West Mockingbird Lane. The popular retail strip that sits on 6.4 acres at the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and Lemmon Avenue was built in 2008 and is 95 percent leased, anchored by LA Fitness. The price wasn’t disclosed, though the property was last valued at $25.5 million for tax purposes, according to the Dallas Central Appraisal District.

Hutchinson, the reality television has-been known for developing the Virgin Hotel Dallas, has been reshuffling his portfolio since he was twice arrested in connection with sexual assault claims by a minor. He sold his Miami home that fall and offloaded three Design District properties, including Dunhill Apartments at 1900 Hi Line Drive, in 2022.

At 63, Hutchinson appeared on the TLC reality show “Marry Millions.” The show featured him and his then 23-year-old wife, a woman he met when she was 18 and working at a restaurant.

Since 2021, at least five women have accused him of sexual misconduct in Dallas and Orange County. A Dallas grand jury declined to indict him on charges related to the Dallas claims. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery in the California case, which required him to register as a sex offender. Hutchinson is still fighting an ongoing civil suit filed by three of his accusers. The case is set to go to trial in June.

Hutchinson stepped down from his role as CEO of Dunhill Partners after his 2021 arrests, but has since resumed the role.

Lurin Capital enters bankruptcy

After filing for bankruptcy six times in March to maintain control of its crumbling portfolio, Lurin Capital (the company) also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on Wednesday. Last month, the firm sought bankruptcy protection for: Latitude 2976 in Houston on March 2; the Emory Apartments in Pensacola, Florida, and the Aria Apartments in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on March 5; Fitzroy Grove in Rogers, Arkansas on March 20; and Villas del Tesoro and 46Eleven in Dallas on March 30. Venetos’ firm has been fending off waves of distress for over a year, starting with Acore Capital Mortgage’s effort to foreclose on 12 Lurin properties in Florida tied to nearly $400 million in loans from Acore.

Toyota Center set for $180M overhaul ahead of RNC

Downtown Houston’s Toyota Center is scheduled to get major upgrades after the NBA season. The $180 million overhaul on the 20-year-old venue aims to reposition the arena ahead of the 2028 Republican National Convention, which Houston is set to host. Upgrades include a new 20,000-square-foot glass atrium set to transform the arena’s street presence and create a covered outdoor gathering space. Work on the property at 1510 Polk Street is expected to wrap up by the fall of 2027. Funds for the project will come from a state grant tied to convention readiness. Rockets owner and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta will cover the remaining costs.

Surfin’ Waco, U.S.A.

As Corpus Christi faces the very real prospect of a drought, another landlocked Central Texas town is getting a surf lagoon. Waco Surf has plans to develop a 450-acre master-planned community built around a surf lagoon. The Desperado will feature 44 single-family homes and 44 duplex townhomes. Austin-based Icon, known for developing technology to 3D-print homes, has signed onto the project. The Desperado joins the likes of iLand Development’s Leander Springs and SonWest’s $1.5 billion development in Mustang Ridge, two other surf lagoon communities.