DTD: The National/Thompson Hotel (1401 Elm)

[Tnexster]

I see it about every day, still lots of exterior tile placement including some of the pillars now also being worked on. That part is looking better all the time. No clue on the inside. Maybe somebody that lives close can offer some insight.

[Tucy]

Does anyone recall what their current completion deadline is (per their subsidy agreement with the City of Dallas)?

[Dmkflyer]

I live at The Metropolitan and can see it out my window. There has been progress on the exterior every day, which has picked up in the last month. Most of that progress has been on the tile and whatever the aqua green/blue stuff is going up the building behind the white stripes, as that now looks complete as of last week least on the south side that I can see. There are a lot of lights on inside, but I can't really tell whats going on in there other than that during the day you can see the metal framing for walls. I am assuming the only progress I'll be able to notice will be when I can no longer see through the whole thing and the sheetrock is up.

[Tnexster]

Is this even called The Drever anymore? They used to have a twitter page but I have not been able to find it which just makes me wonder what the building is being called now.

[dukemeredith]

Local press seems to have reverted to calling the building the "First National Bank" building or simply referring to it's address: 1401 Elm.

Reviving the "Elm Place" name sounds dated to my ear -- but what say the forum?

[lakewoodhobo]

Local press seems to have reverted to calling the building the "First National Bank" building or simply referring to it's address: 1401 Elm.

Reviving the "Elm Place" name sounds dated to my ear -- but what say the forum?

It definitely won't be The Drever anymore. Makes sense that the press would call it by its original name or its address until something new is announced but I recently heard someone (who may or may not have insider info) call it Thompson Dallas Hotel & Residences.

Does anyone recall what their current completion deadline is (per their subsidy agreement with the City of Dallas)?

Pretty sure it's December 2020.

[dfwcre8tive]

Todd Interests is referring to it as 1401 Elm at this time. They have several hundred workers on-site every day to keep things moving quickly.

[soco]

My apartment is across the street and overlooks what will become the amenity deck. There are workers reattaching the marble slabs to the podium and vertical supports. There also crews working on the amenity deck itself, the new structure that was built but not completed, and the vertical light panels. Last week there were five panels illuminated on the building's south side.

[Tnexster]

My apartment is across the street and overlooks what will become the amenity deck. There are workers reattaching the marble slabs to the podium and vertical supports. There also crews working on the amenity deck itself, the new structure that was built but not completed, and the vertical light panels. Last week there were five panels illuminated on the building's south side.

What did the illuminated panels look like?

[soco]

It was kind of a soft white glow. It wasn't nearly as bright as the building used to be. While I've seen the crews working on the white panels I could not tell what type of light was installed.

[Tnexster]

It was kind of a soft white glow. It wasn't nearly as bright as the building used to be. While I've seen the crews working on the white panels I could not tell what type of light was installed.

Interesting and good to know, thanks!

[Jay9398]

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In pic 1 you can see the progress on the marble on the Elm Street side. Almost done and looks really good.

In pic 2 you see the work on the deck. The restaurant/bar structure has added a concrete floor on the second level, awning/overhang supports, and today they started framing the exterior walls. I don’t know what the labyrinthine cinder block things are but they’ve been built up in the last 2 weeks or so.

Pic 3 shows all the new paneling over the light fixtures as well as the construction diagrams pasted to the windows of the upper floors. It also appears that they are sealing the old windows which I *really hope* does not mean that they are staying.

Pic 4 You can’t really make it out in this photo but it looks like the recent interior work has been on plumbing and electric. this also includes the section of test lights that have been on recently but obviously they are not on in this photo.

[Tivo_Kenevil]

Is the new direction of project making the entire development hotel? Or will there resdential?

[cowboyeagle05]

The above comment rumor above said Hotel & Residences so I imagine they would have to make an agreement with the hotel flag on residences operations. I doubt the Hotel would consider taking on the entire building as hotel rooms they would be operating on a similar scale as the Sheraton at that point. Still could add in some office space I guess if they really wanted to. Dare I say the Co-Working space phrase?

[lakewoodhobo]

Retiling of the columns and arches from today. Only counted three being worked on from my short time there but there could be more.

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[Tnexster]

^I noticed some scaffolding going up on the other side of the tower this week, look like they are getting ready to start work on the columns there too.

[citygeek]

In the year 2525 the Drever opens!

[lwtx]

In the year 2525 the Drever opens!

Assuming, of course, that Man is still alive. (Couldn’t pass it up. )

[cowboyeagle05]

Yeah, I got my haircut at Vertigo12 Friday and walked past and the marble certainly looks brand new. Glossy like I imagine it did when the building was first built.

[jetnd87]

Pretty cool article summarizing the 1401 Elm project (probably need to stop calling it The Drever) and highlighting a few of the other projects swirling around downtown.

I gotta say, was in several Dallas neighborhoods today, including much of downtown, and it really feels like the entire city is under construction. That's obviously not including the projects that are in design phase (with the inevitable duds / no-shows). And still, the city seems to have nothing but potential. Talked to a friend today who said that Kaizen paid >$260/sq ft for their land by the Aquarium. To make any money on that price, they need to go big. Exciting time for us development/urban-minded Dallasites!

By the end of 2020, Downtown Dallas will no longer have a single major vacant building. In the late 1990s, when attention of the public and private sectors turned back to Downtown with a loud call for revitalization, predicated on the fact that the city as a whole would not prosper without a strong core, our vacant building count was 42.

https://www.dmagazine.com/commercial-re ... -downtown/

[dfwcre8tive]

Pretty cool article summarizing the 1401 Elm project (probably need to stop calling it The Drever) and highlighting a few of the other projects swirling around downtown.

I gotta say, was in several Dallas neighborhoods today, including much of downtown, and it really feels like the entire city is under construction. That's obviously not including the projects that are in design phase (with the inevitable duds / no-shows). And still, the city seems to have nothing but potential. Talked to a friend today who said that Kaizen paid >$260/sq ft for their land by the Aquarium. To make any money on that price, they need to go big. Exciting time for us development/urban-minded Dallasites!

By the end of 2020, Downtown Dallas will no longer have a single major vacant building. In the late 1990s, when attention of the public and private sectors turned back to Downtown with a loud call for revitalization, predicated on the fact that the city as a whole would not prosper without a strong core, our vacant building count was 42.

https://www.dmagazine.com/commercial-re ... -downtown/

Would be interesting to know how many of those vacant 42 buildings were redeveloped and how many were demolished.

[lakewoodhobo]

First time seeing a completed arch without scaffolding.

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[Tnexster]

Amazing how fresh and clean it will look when complete.

[cowboyeagle05]

Believe me, I used to look at this building profusely and the marble tiles all used to look like old peeling linoleum floor tile to see it. That above picture looks gorgeous.

[Tivo_Kenevil]

Need to see new windows though. I Hope they don't cheap out on that aspect.

[lakewoodhobo]

https://merriman-maa.com/work-posts/akard-station/

I was thinking back to these old and overly ambitious plans for the DART building to serve as ancillary development for The Drever (RIP). If DART plans to stay at 1401 Pacific, they really need to partner with an anchor tenant that'll take over the street level and activate the station platform while DART consolidates to a smaller and less visible space inside the building.

Maybe FOX4 news would be interested in a studio like the one for WFAA in Victory Park. They could put a media wall at the corner of Akard and Pacific with a news ticker, and when not streaming news content it can recreate the mosaic art from different Sanger-Harris stores. DART needs a media partner anyway if they're serious about producing content for those new digital kiosks that they announced last year: https://www.dart.org/news/news.asp?ID=1363

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Even without Fox as an anchor tenant they should look into this, but I don't see how DART would justify the expense otherwise.

[trueicon]

^^ That's a really good idea. I, too, wonder why our local FOX station hasn't already done something like this. What's the point in being downtown when you don't take advantage of your location at all! They might as well be in the suburbs like NBC 5. In Philly (and some other markets), the local FOX station has a beautiful WFAA/Good Morning America style setup.

Last time I checked the ratings, though, FOX 4 has been crushing the local news competition. So even though this is a fantastic idea, I'm a little doubtful they'll do this. I hope I'm wrong!

[northsouth]

Speaking of FOX4, that incident where that crazy guy drove a truck into their building happened almost a year ago, but the glass walls that were damaged are still boarded up with plywood. You'd think they would've taken care of it by now.

[Hannibal Lecter]

..while DART consolidates to a smaller and less visible space inside the building.

A bureaucracy downsizing and becoming less visible?

You aren't from this reality, are you?

[Jay9398]

Maybe FOX4 news would be interested in a studio like the one for WFAA in Victory Park. They could put a media wall at the corner of Akard and Pacific with a news ticker, and when not streaming news content it can recreate the mosaic art from different Sanger-Harris stores. DART needs a media partner anyway if they're serious about producing content for those new digital kiosks that they announced last year

Maybe you should tell it to Tim.

[lakewoodhobo]

Maybe FOX4 news would be interested in a studio like the one for WFAA in Victory Park. They could put a media wall at the corner of Akard and Pacific with a news ticker, and when not streaming news content it can recreate the mosaic art from different Sanger-Harris stores. DART needs a media partner anyway if they're serious about producing content for those new digital kiosks that they announced last year

Maybe you should tell it to Tim.

Ha, I was thinking more Clarice Tinsley reading tweets from a giant screen outside the studio.

[lakewoodhobo]

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[Tnexster]

Testing? How bright did it look? From the pic it looks subdued compared to the original day into night display that adorned that tower before.

[cowboyeagle05]

Which I hope it's subdued from its past life. Back then no one lived downtown and the pinstripes were super bright to the point they outshined everything on the skyline. The miracle of LEDs is they can be piercing for long-distance visual effect but not too bright in imediate range.

[dallaz]

Seen this on my way to work today.

Went to NBCDFW skycam and took a screenshot.

[cowboyeagle05]

Nice.

[Jay9398]

From the balcony early this morning.

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[Tnexster]

Nice shot, at least we know they have plans to light her up again.

[R1070]

It’s going to look so cool.

[Roman_Patrick]

very exciting! i hope they are able to change colors as well!

[andrewnj89]

October 3rd

[Roman_Patrick]

it'll look so great in our skyline! very exciting!

[exelone31]

are they just doing the one?

[homeworld1031tx]

Pic is from the metropolitan. There appear to be architectural drawings stuck to many of the windows on the lower half of the building, so I guess they're already at the point of framing and building out at least the lower rooms

[texasstar]

[Tnexster]

Pic is from the metropolitan. There appear to be architectural drawings stuck to many of the windows on the lower half of the building, so I guess they're already at the point of framing and building out at least the lower rooms

On the north side of the building you can see the same thing going up much higher. Seems to be a ton of interior work taking place.

[quixomniac]

Kinda random, but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the old mural inside 1401 elm?
It was probably posted in the old forum, citing renovation that they were interested in keeping it.
Ive been looking for pictures online, but can't seem to find it.
Could have sworn it was a tree.

[lakewoodhobo]

Kinda random, but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the old mural inside 1401 elm?
It was probably posted in the old forum, citing renovation that they were interested in keeping it.
Ive been looking for pictures online, but can't seem to find it.
Could have sworn it was a tree.

You can see a photo of "Money Tree" in this DMN story from 1954.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLH2BQ ... sp=sharing

[quixomniac]

Kinda random, but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the old mural inside 1401 elm?
It was probably posted in the old forum, citing renovation that they were interested in keeping it.
Ive been looking for pictures online, but can't seem to find it.
Could have sworn it was a tree.

You can see a photo of "Money Tree" in this DMN story from 1954.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLH2BQ ... sp=sharing

Thanks! you guys are always on top of things.

I was wondering if they are still keeping it,
but now that i look at it, im not sure how it will fit with the modern look they are going for
One of the things I liked about the statler and the post office renovations is that they keep some of the old stuff in to remind people what it used to be. Since this was a bank, a money tree, where money literally grows on trees, is obvious. Also the street named after a tree, so it was good imagery.

Dallas-Tex7878as-Money-Tree-Postcard-full-1o-720-99-f.png

[dfwcre8tive]

Kinda random, but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the old mural inside 1401 elm?
It was probably posted in the old forum, citing renovation that they were interested in keeping it.
Ive been looking for pictures online, but can't seem to find it.
Could have sworn it was a tree.

You can see a photo of "Money Tree" in this DMN story from 1954.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLH2BQ ... sp=sharing

Thanks! you guys are always on top of things.

I was wondering if they are still keeping it,
but now that i look at it, im not sure how it will fit with the modern look they are going for
One of the things I liked about the statler and the post office renovations is that they keep some of the old stuff in to remind people what it used to be. Since this was a bank, a money tree, where money literally grows on trees, is obvious. Also the street named after a tree, so it was good imagery. Dallas-Tex7878as-Money-Tree-Postcard-full-1o-720-99-f.png

I believe the Money Tree was removed a long time ago.