There was a time, that we can actually remember, which dates us somewhat, when downtown Dallas was the center of business and retail for the city. The days of a vibrant downtown seem to be slowly returning in the form of upper end rental apartments, high-rise condominiums, and lofts, designed and renovated by architects such as Ron Wommack and Gary Cunningham. There’s even a grocery store downtown again called Urban Market, where residents can pick up fresh flowers, fruit and produce or dine in the cafe. Most of the abandoned buildings have caught the eye of developers and some sort of plan for conversion is underway. The historic Santa Fe Railroad building is now the SoCo Urban Loft Condominiums, and the Woolworth building, the second oldest building in the central Dallas business district, is now The Metropolitan on Main Street. By 2010 the residential population in downtown Dallas is predicted to increase 10-fold. Currently there is a concerted effort to take the retail out from the tunnel system and put the people back on the streets. Outdoor dining and people walking the sidewalks is slowly making a comeback.

The real activity and revitalization lies in the areas surrounding downtown. The Victory complex is dramatically changing the landscape on the west end of downtown. The $420 million American Airlines Center (the most expensive arena in the NBA thus far) was the first phase of this 75-acre master planned urban community. The W-Dallas Victory Hotel & Residences has been well received, and multiple ancillary residential projects are underway, including The House by Philippe Starck, The Icon and The Terrace. Talk is that the Mandarin Oriental will also build a hotel-condo project in the Victory complex. Even the dinosaurs will be heading west when the Dallas Museum of Natural History builds on the land it purchased in the West End.

The entrance to Reunion Arena is slated to be a modern day Times Square complete with a boulevard of jumbotron screens that can produce a symphony of multi-media wonder and entertainment above a bevy of upscale and unique retail and restaurants. Harwood’s Azure, the Ashton, 2011 Cedar Springs, The Ritz Carlton residences and 1999 McKinney are combining to offer a new millennium assortment of high-rise living options with dramatic views of the Dallas skyline. Just to the north of downtown and adjacent to this new corridor of high-rises is Uptown, which features the McKinney Avenue Trolley, the Quadrangle and many upper end rentals and multi-family dwellings. This area also features 18 of Dallas’ finest art galleries, which host monthly gallery walks. The State Thomas area features some of the first town homes and luxury apartments built in the mid 1990s. There still remains a quaint conservation district that maintains the look and feel of what Dallas was like in the early 1900’s. . Nestled between Turtle Creek and Uptown is the historic Stoneleigh Hotel, and adjacent to it, is The Stoneleigh Residences, a new 21-floor luxury condo high-rise. The 75-year-old Maple Terrace Apartments are also being converted into a luxury hotel and condominiums. These areas are still under going a major transformation that is re-shaping urban living in Dallas and one of our agents will look forward to showing you all of the options in this exciting segment of the city.