The District (former Parkland hospital campus)

[DPatel304]

Dallas County approves $83M sale of former Parkland hospital campus to developer Sam Ware, Dreien
Dallas County commissioners on Tuesday gave final approval to an $83 million deal to sell the former Parkland Memorial Hospital campus to developer Sam Ware of Dreien Opportunity Partners LLC.

Those build-out plans of the property could be years in the making. For the first stage, Ware plans to convert the main three structures of the campus into a $250 million mixed-use destination called The District.

Some of Ware’s proposed plans include:
-- Converting the emergency room tower into a hotel to cater to the Medical District.
-- Building small condos to sell from the $200,000s to the $750,000s.
-- Developing more than 600 micro-unit apartments by combining two patient rooms into a 500-square-foot apartment that can be rented at a discount compared with Uptown rents.
-- Retrofitting rooms to offer a wide range of senior living capabilities from assisted living to memory care.
-- Bringing in a variety of amenities ranging from valet services, a high-end workout facility, eateries such as a grocery store, high-end 7-Eleven store and other amenities doctors, nurses, patients and residents might need to stay in The District.

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news ... kland.html

I thought there was an existing thread on this particular development, but I wasn't able to find one. The article is new, but aside from the fact that the sale has been approved, I don't think there is any other new information.

It's a big and ambitious project, for sure, but I like how they are trying to be more reasonably priced compared to a lot of the newer stuff in the urban core.

[jrd1964]

Just can't get past the name.

Meanwhile, I could maybe see this working if the previous Parkland were like the current Parkland, off to itself. But previous Parkland is completely surrounded and wedged by the various UT-Southwestern departments/functions as well as by Children's Medical Center. Unless they wall off the connective halls into whatever the planned sections (residential, hotel, retail, whatever) are, I'm not sure how it would work. Plus, whatever's done inside, it's still going to look like one gigantic hospital outside.

[cowboyeagle05]

I think you also have to realize many potential buyers for some of the existing property aka buildings could have been waiting for Sam to buy from the county. Now that the sale is happening they could approach him now or could have already had made silent deals with him for parts of the project. Children's could have easily discussed a deal with Sam for some additional property and might have rathered buy it from him than the county. Also, keep in mind he does plan on tearing some parts of the property down. I will admit though I would like to see a lot more torn down than he probably does.

[willyk]

Compare this area to the Texas Medical District in Houston. That’s where this may be headed.

[muncien]

There are a ton of folks who work at Parkland for several consecutive long hour days, just to return home to far out places like Sherman, Waxahachee, etc... I didn't believe it when I first heard it, but there are people who do this. I can easily see them fitting well into these micro units. The higher professions will likely buy the small condos and maybe airbnb them when not in town, while the lower level nurses and assistants will rent micro-apartments or hotel rooms when in town.
Going with the price rates they are asking is very smart. The very users of these units will see the connectivity to Childrens, UTSW, and New Parkland as a strength. Other than students finishing externs, residency, etc. they will not be staying in these things full time and likely won't want to splurge on a nearby apartment or manage the costs of hotels.
I really look forward to seeing how this plays out...

[tamtagon]

^I've known a woman who commuted to Regal Row from Wichita Falls! A man who commuted from Palm Springs to Pasadena! I never want to understand the acceptance of such long commutes.

Groups of flight attendants have been known to share a dwelling, one owner 10 roommates, this would seem a likely arrangement for The District micro-condos, too. If it the proposal sticks, we'll see a more rapidly expanding medical district.

[tamtagon]

Next:

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... again-cbre

Parkland Hospital campus hits the market again with CBRE
Steve Brown

[muncien]

Next:

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... again-cbre

Parkland Hospital campus hits the market again with CBRE
Steve Brown

That didn't take long... lol
The reuse of the buildings did take me by surprise. I used to wander that labyrinth back in the days when my wife worked there. Even for a hospital, the building seem unusable. lol
Perhaps someone with deeper pockets can come in with something a bit more aggressive.

[cowboyeagle05]

I think that's probably what gave the backers of the original bidders cold feet on the sale. They probably wanted more time to discuss the redevelopers plans and make vision changes before they funded the purchase. All the while the County seemed in very much of a hurry to dump the property and buildings despite controversy over the accepted bid price being too little too fast of a sale.

Let's just hope a Trammel Crow type doesn't buy and wanna throw up Sam's Club here too.

[Dunner]

Sorry I had to register to just comment on this thread.

I'm a physician working at UTSW, which happens to also exclusively staff Parkland Hospital. I did medical school here before the hospital moved across the street, and I did fellowship training here.

There is no one in their right mind who would buy a "micro-condo" or live in this building. I'm glad this sale fell through because the only thing that makes sense for this place is something like medical office buildings for Parkland, or a long term acute care facility or nursing home. Maybe a hotel catered to out of town patients.

Firstly, this building is attached directly to UTSW laboratories and the medical school. It is deeply embedded within the medical center, flanked by the medical school, Children's hospital, and new Parkland. There is a multi-million dollar curved glass skyway that connects DIRECTLY to this building from New Parkland. Having apartment buildings adjacent or across the street to the hospital district is one thing, but this is physically intertwined with numerous buildings.

Secondly this building is old and used up. Untold number of patients have coughed, bled, urinated, defecated, and died in every room in this building - usually two to a room. This is after all one of the few remaining large safety net hospitals for one of the biggest cities in the country, and it worked over capacity for decades.

Lastly, people don't realize this, but Parkland hospital attracts a population of patients that are traditionally underserved. If you've never been here, there are frequently homeless patients that loiter around that area - mostly because the outpatient clinic is still in old Parkland. You in theory could say the same thing about other apartments in the area, but it's different. Patients have been coming to the old Parkland location - and still do - for decades. Just take a look at the Rusty Taco that is next to New Parkland - which has now closed down and is essentially a camping ground for the homeless now.

Finally, there is this myth that maybe nurses or medical students or staff would stay there - I can assure you virtually no one would take this offer up. There are discounted gated university-run apartments that are fairly nice that people stay in - close by but far enough away from the hospital.

Overall the proposed conversion of this place to condos or apartments makes zero sense and I hope someone recognizes this place as crucial real estate deep within an established medical center and makes it into something that makes sense.