Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

Anyone know what happened to this project? It's been two years and I haven't seen or heard anything since the initial release.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/real ... restaurant

I was just thinking that on Friday! It's so odd that it just fell flat.

Is my recollection correct that the owners/developers were not real estate professionals; that they were more like a family business building their own building? If so, that might explain the delay.

They were probably pursuing a major tenant and maybe that potential tenant changed their mind before signing anything. If the family wanted to just quickly flip it I imagine any number of apartment developers would buy it in a heartbeat. It certainly is a prime piece of property just be enough for any number of dense developments.

It is a family owned large equity fund they are still arguing over colors and fabrics.

Pretty sure nobody is right so far in this thread. Holt Lunsford is developing this project, and he is a major player in DFW real estate. He will office out of this building at wants to target family offices as tenants of the building. That said, no clue what the hold up is on the project.

I've kept a closed mouth so far about this mystery because of the fact that no one, including myself, knows of an answer.
However, I will say this: This is the kind of building that deserves to be at least thirty or forty stories taller than it is intended to be. It would also fit better in Downtown. Just my opinion.

I probably shouldn't say anything but according to a very reliable source and I mean there is literally no one that could be more reliable on this project it might not go through at all.

Sorry to be so cryptic, not trying to be a jerk but given the source and the context it came out I don't even know I should say this much.

I really liked the preliminary designs for this building, it's a shame it may not happen.

And once again, we end up with a huge, empty lot that will potentially be that way for the foreseeable future. It ruins the dense cohesiveness we are always striving for when we have these huge empty lots. This seems to happen a lot in Dallas.

JohnMcKee wrote:I probably shouldn't say anything but according to a very reliable source and I mean there is literally no one that could be more reliable on this project it might not go through at all.

Sorry to be so cryptic, not trying to be a jerk but given the source and the context it came out I don't even know I should say this much.

After I saw your post, I put in a call to a guy that would know the details, as well. You are right on. Apparently this deal is toast.

It looked like a nice projet. But, if it is dead sell that land. I am sure many would make good use of it.

damn! this was one of the towers I was most anticipating. sleek and modern with pre-war setbacks and parapet treatments. maybe it will come back to life.

This was a cool design. Shame.

In Memoriam:





please come back to life!!

Beautiful building, but maybe we will get something just as nice or better.

I like the design and the entrepreneurial spirit, so I am sorry this one did not work--but honestly, if these guys do not have the skills and dough to make this go, then everyone is better off to have them pull out. Markets go bad when a frothy environment and easy money get things built that should never have been.

Recall the 70s when too liberal of a lending environment led to overbuilding. Good projects had to compete with poorly conceived ones, many sat empty or underutilized, and it took Dallas decades to get over it.

Yes. Please come back to life as a 700-800 footer in Downtown. A building this good looking deserves status.

joshua.dodd wrote:... a 700-800 footer in Downtown. A building this good looking...

That's the overall appearance and horizon impact I think would be nice punctuating NorthPark Mall.

tamtagon wrote:That's the overall appearance and horizon impact I think would be nice punctuating NorthPark Mall.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... gh-pockets

Officially dead.

JohnMcKee wrote:https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2017/09/07/choice-uptown-dallas-building-site-sale-deep-enough-pockets

Officially dead.

Yeah it was a stretch to go from steakhouse proprietor to developer.

The owner of the Old Warsaw wasn't involved, he sold his property to the group that was planning on developing it.

Perfect example of Steve Brown's "reporting".

The first line from his April 2015 article about this proposed building:

"A new Uptown office tower is going up on the site of one of Dallas’ oldest restaurants."

Not "is planned" or "is proposed". Steve told us it is going up (note the current tense).

Now, more than 2 years later, the property is for sale and whaddya know, the deal for the tower that was going up "never got off the ground."

Anyone know anything about "Maple Leaf"

https://munozalbin.com/project/maple-leaf/

IDK but I kinda like it, nice rooftop garden and no parking lot in front of the building.

This definitely looks better than what was originally proposed. This site is so good, I'm hoping it doesn't stay vacant for too long.

I agree, this site is so good, it makes you wonder if Crescent will purchase it as Overflow to the original building.

Since it's posted on the architect's website I doubt this one is still happening. I imagine the landowners who originally proposed just an office tower further up in this thread with a similar design scheme tried this concept as well to help to finance since multifamily seems to be easy to build in Uptown. I bet they still couldn't get any bites so this project was shelved as well.

Uptown Dallas building site sells for new tower next door to Crescent

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... r-crescent

A prime Uptown Dallas property has sold to apartment developers at one of the highest prices yet for the area.

San Antonio-based Kairoi Residential and Chicago-based investor RREEF has purchased the more than 1-acre tract that's on Maple Avenue across the street from the Crescent.
The vacant half block was formerly the site of Dallas' storied Old Warsaw restaurant.

So this is now fully residential, rather than the former mixed use "Maple Leaf" proposal? With the higher land price, I wonder if there is some motivation to build taller.

So you're saying there's a chance. I hope they keep some of the design elements from the initial plans.

For an idea of what they do, see the link.

https://www.kairoi.com/what-we-do/development/

I like that this is going residential. I really don't like office projects in Uptown because they can't seem to build them without surface parking or driveways. The residential projects in Uptown are way more urban in design.

I’m curious as to what the tract is zoned for as far as SF and height and whether or not the new owner applied for any changes prior to closing. I assume that news would have made it out into the public if so...

Dallas12 wrote:I’m curious as to what the tract is zoned for as far as SF and height and whether or not the new owner applied for any changes prior to closing. I assume that news would have made it out into the public if so...

Based on absolutely nothing but experience watching things progress in Dallas I am assuming a tower on top of a garage that totals about 20-23 floors which would bring it in line with everything else around there.

Looking at their site, I will say they do have some pretty nice residential towers! Looks like they build a really nice product. Curious if they'll incorporate any retail space?

Also, Concrete and Clutch have signed leases for new spaces not in Uptown. So I wonder if that site down the street is getting closer to getting redeveloped.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:Also, Concrete and Clutch have signed leases for new spaces not in Uptown. So I wonder if that site down the street is getting closer to getting redeveloped.

Wow, this is news to me. Any chance we know where and when they are moving?

I've been waiting for this to happen for sometime. I don't particularly hate the party scene in Uptown, but this strip of bars never made sense to me. Sidewalks are way too small, and cars driving way too fast.

I'm curious to see where these two bars end up going, because those two bars have enough popularity that they could potentially start a new nightlife spot in Dallas. I'll be a little disappointed if they end up in Deep Ellum as well though. I suppose it makes sense, and there is still plenty of room for the party to grow in DE, but I'd like to see multiple party districts in Dallas develop, rather than everything go to Deep Ellum.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:Also, Concrete and Clutch have signed leases for new spaces not in Uptown. So I wonder if that site down the street is getting closer to getting redeveloped.

Let me guess, they're going to Deep Ellum and taking the frat boy/affliction and sorority girl crowd with them?

Probably going to the Star in Frisco - ha!

Matt777 wrote:

cowboyeagle05 wrote:Also, Concrete and Clutch have signed leases for new spaces not in Uptown. So I wonder if that site down the street is getting closer to getting redeveloped.

Let me guess, they're going to Deep Ellum and taking the frat boy/affliction and sorority girl crowd with them?

Hahaha
Ain't that the truth!

Concrete is already at the Star

That's not what I am talking about sir. I am aware they are already at the STAR its where the ontv Dallas housewives party frequently. They are relocating from Uptown to another Dallas central neighborhood because the owner of the land they are currently on wants to redevelop it.

Apartment tower in the works next to Uptown Dallas' Crescent complex

Preliminary plans for the project show a 12-story residential tower that would front on Maple Avenue south of Cedar Springs Road, according to information supplied to Dallas' Oak Lawn Committee.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... nt-complex

Yowza, straight up cookie cutter in-fill. Pretty underwhelming for what that location could seemingly, potentially support. But, they’re the experts on what makes money, as far as residential/retail/office. But, a little surprised there is no retail aspect.

So many developers don't like to complicate things with a mixed-use element. Most just want to throw up the residential units, lease them and sell. Adding ground floor retail complicates contracts and leasing management.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:So many developers don't like to complicate things with a mixed-use element. Most just want to throw up the residential units, lease them and sell. Adding ground floor retail complicates contracts and leasing management.

That's why we should have some zoning requirements requiring a certain amount of ground floor retail or office, based on size and density. Nothing too restrictive but this has to change. Other cities have rules like this.

What the previous owner of the site had planned was strikingly modern and unique. This, is as almost always the case in Dallas, another cookie-cutter shit box. Forgive me, if like others here, I am underwhelmed.

^ I think you're completely in order, objecting to this new proposal. There are certainly worse projects out there, but on such a high profile spot like this I think it's reasonable to expect something better, especially with some of the other new projects in the pipeline in the area.