People are rushing to salvage material from an old condominium building set to be destroyed, seeking to preserve certain aspects of the facility’s architecture.
The soon-to-be-demolished condominium building on Turtle Creek Boulevard in Dallas contains, among other things, breezeway blocks, “cool cinder blocks with cut-outs that, when stacked, form a cool peek-a-boo wall – a staple for many mid-century homes.”
Other sought-after items include hardwood flooring, curvy iron columns, embellished gates, graceful S-shaped iron window coverings, patio furniture, high-end planters, and all-wood exterior doors.
Turtle Creek Gardens, located at 2525 Turtle Creek Boulevard, was built in 1961 as an apartment complex, but in 1973, it transitioned into a 108-unit condominium. The building, which sits on more than four acres near Fairmount Street, is set for demolition, with two high-rise buildings planned to be built in its place.
According to real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, “The current low-density condominiums no longer constitute the Property’s highest and best use, as there has been an unprecedented surge in demand for high-density development in the area.”
Jonathan Hill, a salvager, told CultureMap that he is passionate about saving some of the items from the building.
“This building is kind of special,” Hill said. “It has some stuff that will never be made again. If I could, I’d have 15 guys going through day and night, but we’re just doing it bit by bit and taking what we can.”
Nick Hamblen, a former resident who lived in the facility, told CultureMap that he lived in the building until August, when they were required to move out to meet the mid-September move-out deadline.
“We were there for five years and we always felt like the luckiest guys in the world,” Hamblen said. “The location is incredible and we had a terrace with views of the city.”
