Downtown Dallas 'Smart District' in the Works

Spanning eight blocks, plans for the Dallas Smart District include offices, hotel space, and retail. Anchoring the development: a 78-floor tower that would become the tallest building in town.

1 minute read

October 30, 2017, 12:00 PM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Dallas

Luis Tamayo / Flickr

Eyeing a "vacant corner of downtown Dallas," Steve Brown writes, "Builder KDC has teamed up with landowner Hoque Global to plan the more than 20-acre skyscraper campus on the south side of downtown."

Plans for the Dallas Smart District, designed by architect Pelli Clarke Pelli, envision a bold campus of new buildings. "The first phase would include 600,000 to 1 million square feet of office space, an urban grocery store, a food hall, a boutique hotel and green space."

"The tallest building envisioned for Dallas Smart District would be 78 floors, or about 200 feet higher than Bank of America Plaza, currently downtown's tallest building," Brown writes. Additionally, KDC reports that it "included the Dallas Smart District site in potential locations offered for digital retailer Amazon's new $5 billion second corporate headquarters complex."

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 in Dallas News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

May 1 - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

May 1 - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.