Staying power
Surrounded by successful redos, a downtown skyscraper will be getting new life as a grand hotel
08:02 PM CST on Thursday, December 23, 2004
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...otel.41d96.html
Love has something to do with Robert Colombo's latest venture. Why else would he tackle the daunting prospect of turning a boarded-up 78-year-old office building into a posh hotel? It's taken almost two years of preparation, but Mr. Colombo's deLuxe Hotel Group is about to begin restoring an empty office tower at 1530 Main St. into the Joule Urban Resort. "I first saw the building in 1997 or 1998, and it reminded me of a New York residential hotel," said Mr. Colombo, who spent most of his career in the hotel and restaurant business. "Maybe that's why I fell in love with it."
Location is also key. Sitting midway between Neiman Marcus and the Magnolia Building, the project is surrounded by successful redevelopments. It faces the popular Stone Street Gardens mall, with its eclectic collection of restaurants, and the Kirby Building and Wilson Building apartment communities are a few doors down. "We have an opportunity here to do something unique – an important project for the city," said Mr. Colombo, who's embarking on the project with investor Tim Headington of Headington Resources. "It will be something Dallas has not really seen before."
Modern
Looking at the gothic-inspired office tower, it's hard to believe the building was advertised as being "modern" when it debuted in the 1920s. The 17-story building was built as the headquarters for the Dallas National Bank. In later years, it housed a department store and a retail arcade. With its small floors and long, thin profile, the building was inefficient for modern office space. But that kind of layout is perfect for hotel rooms. Dallas-based ArchiTexas – an experienced renovation architect – will oversee this effort to save a piece of Main Street history.
The intricate stone exterior of the building will be restored to mint condition, but as soon as you step through the front door, you'll leave the 1920s behind. Award-winning New York designer Adam Tihany will create an ultra-contemporary theme for the lobby, rooms, restaurant, lounge and other spaces. "It will be a great juxtaposition of old vs. new," Mr. Colombo said. "There is a grand old facade and a new, contemporary interior." Mr. Tihany, whose Aleph Hotel in Rome won European design awards, is better known in the United States for his work on top nightclubs and restaurants, including Per Se in New York. "We've asked Adam to do something at the very highest end of contemporary design," Mr. Colombo said.
'Bonanza'
The hotel will have 124 rooms and suites, and developers are building an adjoining 10-story wing on the tower to house a restaurant, meeting rooms, additional guest rooms and a spa with a rooftop pool. The project will cost more than $25 million. "We've already finished all the interior demolition," said Mr. Colombo, who hopes to open the hotel in early 2006. "It couldn't happen fast enough for me," said Tom Taylor, who has renovated several restaurant and retail buildings in the same block. "It's going to be a spectacular improvement to have a five-star restaurant and a boutique hotel. "That's a bonanza for downtown." Merrill Lynch Capital is providing funding. The project is getting a boost from the Center City Tax Increment Finance board, which agreed to provide several million dollars in redevelopment incentives. "It's going to be fabulous and will have a huge impact and add activity on Main Street," said Alice Murray, president of the Central Dallas Association.
Something different
Mr. Colombo predicts his niche hotel will be popular with visitors and locals who want something different. "We will create a reason for people to come downtown on the weekend," he said. In the 1980s, Mr. Colombo was known as one of the founders of the Sfuzzi restaurant chain, which got its start on McKinney Avenue. He's also worked in management at several New York hotels, including the Plaza, Grand Hyatt and Bryant Park. "We think this project will be unique in that it will add something to the fabric of the city," Mr. Colombo said. "And to not do anything with that building would be an absolute shame."
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