Downtown Dallas' Comeback Story

Downtown Dallas provides another example of the redemptive power of adaptive reuse. With the number of empty buildings declining every year and more ambitious projects on the way, is it safe to say Downtown Dallas is all the way back?

April 28, 2014, 7am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

A Dallas Morning News editorial describes the ongoing revival of the southeastern corner of Downtown Dallas: "Just think of the change that has occurred in the southeastern corner of downtown. The Lone Star Gas Lofts, the Continental Building, the opening of Main Street Garden, the redesign of the University of North Texas’ downtown campus, the plan to convert the old Dallas Municipal Courts building into UNT Law School." The editorial credits a "commitment from city leadership to invest in bold public-private partnerships to restore aging buildings" for the turnaround.

The story follows an earlier article by Steve Brown with a headline that reads: "Downtown Dallas is running out of empty buildings." Brown was writing specifically of the recently announced redevelopment of two of Dallas' largest empty buildings: the 52-story former First National Bank tower at 1401 Elm Street and Statler-Hilton Hotel on Commerce Street.

Dallas Morning News Architecture Critic Mark Lamster tweeted his response to the Downtown Dallas comeback narrative, citing the area's momentum but also mentioning the remaining empty buildings and providing a negative review for a proposed parking garage at Pacific Plaza.