A former industrial site in Oak Cliff is set to be transformed into a modern retail and studio space.
Oak Cliff-based real estate group Proxy Properties plans to revitalize a stale industrial site at 900 East Clarendon Dr. that dates back over one hundred years to 1915. The City of Dallas’ Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, which uses property tax revenue to support struggling real estate, will be utilized to support the project.
“Originally built in 1915, East Dock is a historic 62,000 sq. ft. property with a fascinating past. Once serving as an ice factory, a book manufacturing site, and even a producer of airplane parts, it has been a cornerstone of industry over the decades. After sitting vacant for over seven years, Proxy stepped in with a vision: to restore this remarkable building into a vibrant hub for a diverse range of industries,” reads a description of the property on the developer’s website.
This is not Proxy Properties’ first foray into an ambitious project like this.
Last year, Proxy, led by founder A.J. Ramler, was given the green light by the City for a project to restore the Oak Cliff United Methodist Church after it suffered fire damage in January 2024. The City of Dallas approved the application to change the site’s zoning from regional retail to mixed-use while maintaining a historic district overlay.
The United Methodist Church’s restoration initiative is just one of the dozens of projects Proxy has taken on in Oak Cliff.
“For us, it is important to buy buildings that have been vacant for a long time, ignored, or forgotten about,” said Ramler, per CultureMap Dallas. “East Dock fit in that box. It was not contributing to the neighborhood.”
The former industrial space has room for at least 15 businesses, with some already signed on, including a Latin-American restaurant and market called Barro. Business partners Robert Ramirez, co-owner at Nova, and chef Eric Spigner are collaborating to bring the new restaurant to fruition.