One of the largest retail blocks in North Dallas’ Preston Center district, the Preston Center Pavillion, is seeking to add office and apartment buildings to the area.
The Preston Center Pavilion, located on Westchester Drive south of Northwest Highway in one of Dallas’ wealthiest neighborhoods, currently contains more than 230,000 square feet of retail space.
The real estate company that owns the block, Ramrock Real Estate LLC, acquired it in 2018. The company is seeking city approvals for new construction, which will occur on the south side of the block along Luther Lane.
“We want to build 265,000 square feet of office space, 180 units of multifamily, and 30,000 square feet of retail,” Ramrock president Robert Dozier said. “The office we are entitled to build by right. The density we are seeking is for the multifamily.”
The new buildings would replace storefronts on Westchester Drive and Luther Lane and an office building on Douglas Avenue. The planned office and apartment buildings would be situated about 12 floors above retail space on the first level.
Reportedly, the large shopping building at the north end of the block would remain. That location is where Target and other retailers are presently situated.
“The plan we currently have does not anticipate doing anything with the Target building,” Dozier said. “What we will do is enhance that to match the upgrades we are doing to the south.”
Dallas architect HKS is set to design the project.
The multi-floor Preston Center Pavilion building, which dates to the mid-century, was originally a department store. In 2002, the building was redeveloped and renovated into space for multiple shops.
Dozier worked on the redevelopment, he said, when he was with Dallas-based Lincoln Property Co.
“My new company, we started in October 2017,” he said. “We bought the property from Crow Holdings and have owned it ever since.”
Dozier said all the parking for the new office and apartments would be located in the new underground and above the street garages.
“We will replace the retail that’s there today,” he explained. “We’ll still have ground floor retail along Luther and Westchester. This is going to be the highest-quality office and multifamily project in the district.”
HKS’ plans for the project display a landscaped pedestrian walkway along Luther, running to Douglas. The plan includes restaurants and outdoor seating.
Ramrock Real Estate’s proposed development is just one of several projects in the works in the high-end residential parts of the North Dallas area.
Developer Lincoln Property is constructing two high-rises that will add more office and residential space on the south side of Preston Center along Douglas Avenue.
Houston-based developer Hanover Co. has started a 23-story multifamily high-rise on Northwest Highway on the site of a condominium building that burned in 2017.
Also near Luther Lane, on the south side, Preston Center block was recently rezoned for construction of a hotel-condo tower and a 255-unit apartment high-rise.
