The Cedars is a gateway community to the city’s South Side and in the early 20th century it was an upscale neighborhood where lawyers and businessmen working downtown would retire at the end of the workday to stately Victorian homes. In the latter half of the century, the professional class migrated north and the neighborhood became more industrial.
That all began to change after Dallas Area Rapid Transit opened Cedars Station in 1997 and local developer Jack Matthews of Matthews Southwest capitalized on its presence. He launched an urban residential revival when he renovated the nine-story former Sears complex, turning it into the 457-unit South Side on Lamar, 1409 S. Lamar St. Other Matthews Southwest projects in The Cedars include the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 1005 S. Lamar St.
http://dallas.towers.net/2016/07/26/the-cedars-urban-industrial-loft-style/