DTD | West End: Corgan Associates Bldg.

[BigD5349]

Corgan's new home will be in West End
Dallas architect to build 60,000-square-foot corporate office



12:00 AM CST on Thursday, December 1, 2005
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News


Dallas architect Corgan Associates Inc. said Wednesday that it's planning to build a new corporate office in downtown Dallas' West End.

Corgan is the third company this year – along with Hunt Consolidated Inc. and 7-Eleven Inc. – to announce plans to build its headquarters downtown.

Corgan's three-story building will have about 60,000 square feet of space and be fully occupied by the architect.

Before deciding to build, the architect looked at remodeling older properties downtown, said Corgan president David Lind.

"We did do an investigation into about 12 existing buildings we could have moved into," Mr. Lind said. "None of the existing properties fit the image of an architectural firm.

"We are committed to downtown Dallas and want to stay in the central business district."

The company now is located at 501 Elm St. and has a workforce of about 250 people.

"It's nice to keep a $20 million payroll downtown," Mr. Lind said.

Corgan will break ground in January at Houston Street and Ross Avenue just north of the former Texas School Book Depository.

The site is now a parking lot.


The three-story brick, glass and copper office building will take about a year to build. Turner Construction Co. is the general contractor.

"We did a respectful yet contemporary design," Mr. Lind said, including using some of the same materials as the historic structures in the West End.


Convenient location

The firm chose the location because of easy access to DART's light rail system and other amenities in the entertainment district. "We also saw the opportunities with the Trinity River improvements, which will be close to us, and Victory," he said.

Downtown Dallas has about 8 million square feet of empty office space, but real estate brokers say companies often choose to build so they can create the exact business environment they want.

"Some of this is being driven by economic incentives," said Daryl Mullin of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas. "If they can have a building that is designed for their needs and it is not going to cost them any more than to lease space, why not?"

Still, downtown needs office tenants.

"We don't need additional space in downtown Dallas. Rental rates are already very low, and we are almost 30 percent vacant," Mr. Mullin said.


Going downtown

Hunt Consolidated has broken ground on its 15-story, 350,000-square-foot headquarters on Akard Street and Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

The energy company is currently renting space a few blocks away in the Fountain Place tower.

And 7-Eleven will be the lead tenant, with 240,000 square feet of headquarters space, in the One Arts Plaza complex under construction in downtown's Arts District.

Corgan, which was founded in 1938, has had its offices downtown for almost its entire history.

[Boredkid]

Humm, They are in the same building as my loft. Heard rumors they were thinking of moving.

[X Factor]

One parking lot down... MANY more to go!!

[slfunk]

Humm, They are in the same building as my loft. Heard rumors they were thinking of moving.

They designed your loft. Use to work there during my summer internships about 5 yrs ago. They took me on a tour of your loft building to show me some stuff they had done.

[Boredkid]

ah that explains it. Some of the lofts are to say the least very oddly laid out.

[Kelley USA]

I wonder when we'll see a rendering... More good news for DTD- and a small boost for the WestEnd. It's a chance for companies to be close to Victory but at a much cheaper price. I still believe we'll see WestEnd boom once Victory really gets going.

[Kelley USA]

I think Corgan also designed the new United Way building in the WestEnd. I wonder if we'll see something like that...

[clipper]

Here tis.

[clipper]

ross and houston

[Boredkid]

That will fit in well with the new holocast museum too.

[gc]

I want to say that I don't like it, but it is going to fit in nicely with the West End and gobble up a parking lot. I am curious about the western facade and how it will look from the highway.

[slfunk]

Here is one thing that I am not understanding. With this being in West End area, why not go ahead and raise the building one more floor to accomodate some small retail area and covered parking. I have a feeling they will not be building any sort of parking garage. We (Dallas) should learn from the 80's of not provided enough open floor space on the first floor where pedestrian traffic is on the street for retail. Here is an awesome opportunity with the Kennedy Museum and a future Holocaust Museum.

[carousel]

I wonder when we'll see a rendering... More good news for DTD- and a small boost for the WestEnd. It's a chance for companies to be close to Victory but at a much cheaper price. I still believe we'll see WestEnd boom once Victory really gets going.

Yep

[Boredkid]

I think they have learned from the building they are currently in. Thought its nice to be in a mixed use building. There are plenty negative aspects. 501/509 elm is office, condo, retail and museum. Things can get kinda intersting at times.

[clipper]

The western facade is pretty much "blank." It's up against the DART line and faces the afternoon sun.

[Boredkid]

I though that was where the museum was going? or is it across the street?

[Mballar]

Sorry, but I don't like it. I would expect a little bit more exciting design coming from an architectural firm. . .especially when the president of the company is quoted as stating they passed up about 12 existing buildings they could have moved into because "none of the existing properties fit the image of an architectural firm."

I also think that the West End needs a real "stand out" structure on that corner, because it is like the West entrance into the area. This building is just more of the same. I'm sure that they wanted the building to blend in with the rest of the West End. I just wish they could have found a bolder way to do it.

[BigD5349]

Good find, clipper, thanks.

From the description in the paper, I was expecting something a little more interesting. It's a disappointment from this perspective.

[Boredkid]

How can you say its a disappointment. Anything is better than a parking lot.

[BigD5349]

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled they are staying in DTD, and the building is fine, certainly better than a parking lot.

It was only an opinion about the architectural style, I thought it would be a bit more edgy, but I understand that they're trying to fit in.

[clipper]

The West End has strict architectural requirements that insure that everything built there looks like "just more of the same."

[Columbus Civil]

I like it.

[antoinekhuu]

Can they use other material than red brick?

[Random Traffic Guy]

This is why the county is investing in the 2nd underground garage. If downtown keeps going then alot of those surface lots will become something else.

[Tnekster]

Does this new building have any underground parking?

[clipper]

Yes, they require brick, stone etc. The only reason they hot away with all those modern metal panels on the 1000 Ross apartments is that the cutoff for the district is on Lamar Street.

[msutton]

It looks like an ugly community college building.

[Bryant]

I'm not particularly impressed with the design. But, a firm that has stayed downtown Dallas for nearly 70 years doesn't really deserve criticisms.

[msutton]

If they do design that appears quick, lazy, and entirely lackluster, sure they do. Hopefully someone from the company will get word and/or care that people think their building is ugly. Particularly since they are an architectural firm, their building should be something that makes you go 'wow' -- for their own sake!

[dallasag00]

It's not our right to complain, we aren't paying for it. Thanks for clearing out a parking lot!

[incrediculous]

Correction. It is our right to complain, regardless of who's paying.

[drumguy8800]

They did a pretty good job photoshopping a reflection of the end of the skyline on the glass, though.

[FoUTASportscaster]

This is cool. I ride my bike past this location a lot.

[dallasag00]

Sorry, I don't moan and complain about what someone else wants to do with their $.

To each their own.

[Tnekster]

I don't think it looks bad and it fits in nicely with the rest of west end. And apparently that is where they want to be and if I am not mistaken I have read lots of moaning and whining about the improvements that are needed to help bring that area back. Maybe having Corrigan there is a step in the right direction, needless to say it is THEIR office and they get to design it as they like.

[Mephis Gooseberry]

I believe the Holocaust Museum will be east of Houston Street.

Correction: Saw another picture of the Holocaust Museum. Its is on the west side. So I'm stumped about the Corgan placement.

[Boredkid]

I think they are working on it now. There is a contruction fence up and trucks there. I broke my camera so will have to wait on pics from someone else. Fwi, No matter how good beer is for the body, dropping ones camera into beer is not good for the camera.

[tamtagon]

Fwi, No matter how good beer is for the body, dropping ones camera into beer is not good for the camera.

haha

Share with us a picture when you can.... :cheers:

[Mephis Gooseberry]

Where exactly is it? What block? Details please. There is a conflict between where they announced and where the Holocaust Museum says they want to build. I keep forgetting to drive by and look.

[Boredkid]

Right on the other side of the dart rail tracks from the 6th floor museum is where the holocaust museum is going. In the middle of that big parking lot is where this building is going.

[Mephis Gooseberry]

Is this correct?

[Tnekster]

^That appears to be correct.

[Mephis Gooseberry]

Thanks.

[Tnekster]

Here is a couple pics of the site.

[FoUTASportscaster]

It is to the west of Houston street. I ride by it frequently when I am on bike going from Union station to the workplace in Uptown.

[Mephis Gooseberry]

Drove by this afternoon, fills the entire block front to back. It may be short but it still going to be a nice size building. I wonder where they will put the big wigs corner offices, the downtown side or the Hunt Bridge side?

[gc]

^ The Hunt Bridge side....it'll give them a better opportunity to visualize (dream) about the developments on the river....

[BigD5349]

I was driving by the site today and noticed they put a rendering up on the fence. See the attached.

[Rob]

Looks nice - is that parking lot something they're building or is it one of the existing lots?

[FoUTASportscaster]

It is existing. I was think the same thing. I was initially disappointed, but the building itself is taking up surface parking, so that's ok with me.