GarrettCarey
08-12-2002, 04:58 PM
Keeping up appearances
Renovating commercial property is growing in popularity in Dallas Business Journal - Lisa Tanner Staff Writer
GREATER METROPLEX — Renovating old or sometimes not-so-old buildings for commercial uses can give aging properties a new lease on life.
And, since many of these buildings are in prime locations in the Metroplex, they offer tenants a close-in, accessible location for their business to call home.
After a period when anything old was knocked down or covered up, people here now are appreciating the character of historic buildings, said Dale E. Selzer, principal of architecture firm Selzer Associates.
"Many people grew up in other areas of the country where there were a lot of historic buildings and they appreciate those buildings," he said.
A number of buildings dating from the 1920s are located in the Knox Street area. One, close to the Katy Trail and now occupied by Lamps Plus, required little more exterior renovation than a paint job and new storefronts, said Selzer, whose firm handled the renovation
"The character of the building was still there," Selzer said.
Other historic buildings in the area have been reborn as retail or restaurant space. A filling station at the corner of McKinney Avenue and Knox Street has been revamped as retail space and is awaiting a tenant. The old Hoffbrau restaurant site is being converted to hold two stores.
The city of Dallas, too, is encouraging restoration of older buildings, with funds designated to improve streetscapes and help ease the redevelopment process.
"There is a lot of momentum for redevelopment," Selzer said. This is important because old-time craftsmanship is costly to match, he said.
The use of cast stone at Highland Park Village, for example, where Selzer Associates oversees ongoing renovations, is more expensive than other types of construction, he said.
Unexpected discoveries made during the restoration process often mean additional costs. Utility lines that were supposed to run down an alley, for example, may be found under a building and must be relocated.
"Even if you have the original plans, as we do for Highland Park Village, we sometimes find it wasn't built as drawn and we have to make adjustments," Selzer said.
Remodeling of the Lamps Plus building, for example, suffered a setback when the roof collapsed because a load-bearing beam had been removed in earlier remodeling.
But while remodeling an empty building can present difficulties, making the renovation process bearable for tenants is a prime consideration in transforming space that is currently leased, said Selzer Associates' John R. Brown.
When the company undertook the renovation of Preston Center East, now called The Plaza at Preston Center, "We had to transform the way it looked while keeping the center in business for the 12 months of construction," he said.
While for many buildings renovation spells a change of use, this is not always the case.
One of downtown Dallas' historic buildings, the Hotel Lawrence in South Houston Street, for example, began its life as a hotel in 1925 and was in need of a major face lift before it underwent a $4 million renovation, completed in January.
The hotel was reborn as a boutique facility offering eight floors of rooms all within walking distance of Dallas courthouses, Dallas Convention Center, Union Station and the West End entertainment district. Much of the hotel's business comes from corporate clients and conventioneers seeking a smaller, more personal hotel, said General Manager Ellen Earnest. The redesigned rooms have been upgraded to offer amenities such as two-line phones and CD players.
Once known as the Paramount Hotel, the building was purchased by Big D Hotel Associates of Annapolis, Md., in October, 2001. The 118-room hotel now houses the new Empire Bar & Grill in a high-visibility corner space.
Other downtown Dallas buildings, such as the Magnolia on Commerce Street, have changed from office use to hotels, while others, like the Kirby and Davis buildings on Main Street, have switched from retail to residential uses.
At present, prospective buyers are circling a number of historic buildings in the Main Street area of downtown Dallas, where Datum Engineers Inc. of Dallas has renovated two of the oldest buildings, the F. W. Woolworth Co. building on Elm Street and the adjacent 1525 Main Street building.
The Stone Street Gardens area between Main Street and Elm Street has a new look and Datum Engineers is renovating 1520-22 Main St., which opens onto Pegasus Plaza, said Thomas W. Taylor, Datum chairman.
One company eager for a downtown address is Merriman Associates/Architects Inc. The company is moving its corporate headquarters from the Preston Center area of Dallas to 1307 Pacific Ave. The building is just a few feet from the Akard Street DART light-rail station, a key consideration, said company President Jerry Merriman.
The firm is involved in urban design projects across the country and wants to show its support for the redevelopment of downtown Dallas, Merriman said. Its 40-plus employees will move into the newly renovated space shortly.
The four-story building, though just 30 years old, needed a total renovation, Merriman said. Built for a title company, it had been vacant for some time, he said.
"We'd been searching for a building for more than a year," said Merriman.
"We're not a large company, but maybe other companies our size will see this, and it can be the start of significant improvements to street facades in Dallas," he said.
The corner building will have a boardroom and reception area visible from the street, he said.
It took the company 11 months to iron out issues related to the ownership of the building and the land. It closed on the deal in December and began construction in January.
"Being architects helped us with the construction. But we learned a lot about what building owners go through," Merriman said. The company received some funding for renovation from the downtown tax improvement district.
The historic Olive & Meyers manufacturing buildings, located between Canton and Commerce Streets on South Central Expressway in downtown Dallas, have also taken on new uses.
The four buildings, boasting turn-of-the-century architecture, were constructed between 1903 and 1921 for the company that was Dallas' first custom furniture manufacturer. They are believed to be the first local example of a corporate campus.
Sisters Sherry and Mary Ann McKinley, co-owners of The Newsletter Co., purchased three of the four connected buildings in March 2000. They'd previously restored a Victorian building in the State-Thomas Historic District, but were in need of larger quarters for their growing publishing business.
"We'd already saved a Victorian house that was about to be bulldozed, long before the State-Thomas district had turned around," said Sherry McKinley. "But after eight or nine years, the company had grown to the point that we had people working in the file room and in the hallway." Still, it was hard to leave the 1880s house, which they still own and rent to a sports marketing company.
"A new building wasn't even an option for us," McKinley said. "You have to love old stuff, and love restoration, renovation and saving old buildings."
After a year's search, they found the Olive & Meyers buildings, which had been vacant for about 10 years. The size of the property will allow the company of 12 employees to grow to its maximum anticipated size of 50 employees, thus avoiding a future relocation, McKinley said. The property boasts coveted nine-over-nine windows and wood sashes. But it was basically a brick shell, which was renovated over a nine-month period using old doors found at salvage yards and reclaimed hardwood floors.
In January, the company moved into 9,500 square feet of second-floor space, leaving ground-floor space available for retail and other uses. A key draw of the building is a rooftop desk that will seat 50 for dinner and looks toward the Farmer's Market and the downtown Dallas skyline. The company has loaned that space to non-profit groups to use for events.
Now employees of The Newsletter Co. can walk to the Farmer's Market and prepare their lunch using the office's full commercial kitchen. Or they can stroll to dining spots in Deep Ellum.
"My sister and I love urban living, and so do the people who work for us," McKinley said.
Contact DBJ writer Lisa Tanner at ltanner@bizjournals.com or (214) 706-7117.
Renovating commercial property is growing in popularity in Dallas Business Journal - Lisa Tanner Staff Writer
GREATER METROPLEX — Renovating old or sometimes not-so-old buildings for commercial uses can give aging properties a new lease on life.
And, since many of these buildings are in prime locations in the Metroplex, they offer tenants a close-in, accessible location for their business to call home.
After a period when anything old was knocked down or covered up, people here now are appreciating the character of historic buildings, said Dale E. Selzer, principal of architecture firm Selzer Associates.
"Many people grew up in other areas of the country where there were a lot of historic buildings and they appreciate those buildings," he said.
A number of buildings dating from the 1920s are located in the Knox Street area. One, close to the Katy Trail and now occupied by Lamps Plus, required little more exterior renovation than a paint job and new storefronts, said Selzer, whose firm handled the renovation
"The character of the building was still there," Selzer said.
Other historic buildings in the area have been reborn as retail or restaurant space. A filling station at the corner of McKinney Avenue and Knox Street has been revamped as retail space and is awaiting a tenant. The old Hoffbrau restaurant site is being converted to hold two stores.
The city of Dallas, too, is encouraging restoration of older buildings, with funds designated to improve streetscapes and help ease the redevelopment process.
"There is a lot of momentum for redevelopment," Selzer said. This is important because old-time craftsmanship is costly to match, he said.
The use of cast stone at Highland Park Village, for example, where Selzer Associates oversees ongoing renovations, is more expensive than other types of construction, he said.
Unexpected discoveries made during the restoration process often mean additional costs. Utility lines that were supposed to run down an alley, for example, may be found under a building and must be relocated.
"Even if you have the original plans, as we do for Highland Park Village, we sometimes find it wasn't built as drawn and we have to make adjustments," Selzer said.
Remodeling of the Lamps Plus building, for example, suffered a setback when the roof collapsed because a load-bearing beam had been removed in earlier remodeling.
But while remodeling an empty building can present difficulties, making the renovation process bearable for tenants is a prime consideration in transforming space that is currently leased, said Selzer Associates' John R. Brown.
When the company undertook the renovation of Preston Center East, now called The Plaza at Preston Center, "We had to transform the way it looked while keeping the center in business for the 12 months of construction," he said.
While for many buildings renovation spells a change of use, this is not always the case.
One of downtown Dallas' historic buildings, the Hotel Lawrence in South Houston Street, for example, began its life as a hotel in 1925 and was in need of a major face lift before it underwent a $4 million renovation, completed in January.
The hotel was reborn as a boutique facility offering eight floors of rooms all within walking distance of Dallas courthouses, Dallas Convention Center, Union Station and the West End entertainment district. Much of the hotel's business comes from corporate clients and conventioneers seeking a smaller, more personal hotel, said General Manager Ellen Earnest. The redesigned rooms have been upgraded to offer amenities such as two-line phones and CD players.
Once known as the Paramount Hotel, the building was purchased by Big D Hotel Associates of Annapolis, Md., in October, 2001. The 118-room hotel now houses the new Empire Bar & Grill in a high-visibility corner space.
Other downtown Dallas buildings, such as the Magnolia on Commerce Street, have changed from office use to hotels, while others, like the Kirby and Davis buildings on Main Street, have switched from retail to residential uses.
At present, prospective buyers are circling a number of historic buildings in the Main Street area of downtown Dallas, where Datum Engineers Inc. of Dallas has renovated two of the oldest buildings, the F. W. Woolworth Co. building on Elm Street and the adjacent 1525 Main Street building.
The Stone Street Gardens area between Main Street and Elm Street has a new look and Datum Engineers is renovating 1520-22 Main St., which opens onto Pegasus Plaza, said Thomas W. Taylor, Datum chairman.
One company eager for a downtown address is Merriman Associates/Architects Inc. The company is moving its corporate headquarters from the Preston Center area of Dallas to 1307 Pacific Ave. The building is just a few feet from the Akard Street DART light-rail station, a key consideration, said company President Jerry Merriman.
The firm is involved in urban design projects across the country and wants to show its support for the redevelopment of downtown Dallas, Merriman said. Its 40-plus employees will move into the newly renovated space shortly.
The four-story building, though just 30 years old, needed a total renovation, Merriman said. Built for a title company, it had been vacant for some time, he said.
"We'd been searching for a building for more than a year," said Merriman.
"We're not a large company, but maybe other companies our size will see this, and it can be the start of significant improvements to street facades in Dallas," he said.
The corner building will have a boardroom and reception area visible from the street, he said.
It took the company 11 months to iron out issues related to the ownership of the building and the land. It closed on the deal in December and began construction in January.
"Being architects helped us with the construction. But we learned a lot about what building owners go through," Merriman said. The company received some funding for renovation from the downtown tax improvement district.
The historic Olive & Meyers manufacturing buildings, located between Canton and Commerce Streets on South Central Expressway in downtown Dallas, have also taken on new uses.
The four buildings, boasting turn-of-the-century architecture, were constructed between 1903 and 1921 for the company that was Dallas' first custom furniture manufacturer. They are believed to be the first local example of a corporate campus.
Sisters Sherry and Mary Ann McKinley, co-owners of The Newsletter Co., purchased three of the four connected buildings in March 2000. They'd previously restored a Victorian building in the State-Thomas Historic District, but were in need of larger quarters for their growing publishing business.
"We'd already saved a Victorian house that was about to be bulldozed, long before the State-Thomas district had turned around," said Sherry McKinley. "But after eight or nine years, the company had grown to the point that we had people working in the file room and in the hallway." Still, it was hard to leave the 1880s house, which they still own and rent to a sports marketing company.
"A new building wasn't even an option for us," McKinley said. "You have to love old stuff, and love restoration, renovation and saving old buildings."
After a year's search, they found the Olive & Meyers buildings, which had been vacant for about 10 years. The size of the property will allow the company of 12 employees to grow to its maximum anticipated size of 50 employees, thus avoiding a future relocation, McKinley said. The property boasts coveted nine-over-nine windows and wood sashes. But it was basically a brick shell, which was renovated over a nine-month period using old doors found at salvage yards and reclaimed hardwood floors.
In January, the company moved into 9,500 square feet of second-floor space, leaving ground-floor space available for retail and other uses. A key draw of the building is a rooftop desk that will seat 50 for dinner and looks toward the Farmer's Market and the downtown Dallas skyline. The company has loaned that space to non-profit groups to use for events.
Now employees of The Newsletter Co. can walk to the Farmer's Market and prepare their lunch using the office's full commercial kitchen. Or they can stroll to dining spots in Deep Ellum.
"My sister and I love urban living, and so do the people who work for us," McKinley said.
Contact DBJ writer Lisa Tanner at ltanner@bizjournals.com or (214) 706-7117.