Hello Deep Ellum,
How are you? Did you hear about hotel heiress Paris Hilton when she came to Dallas?
via DallasVoice
I first heard about Miss Paris in The Dallas Quick about her in Highland Park Village for the premier of “The Hottie and the Nottie.” Same-o same-o, she was there, people screamed, gawked at her, took pictures, and went to the W Dallas Hotel, Ghostbar at Victory Park area to party.
Well, last night I was read around the DallasVoice Newspaper and ran into a snip-it of an interview with Paris Hilton. They struck an interesting point about maybe she can save the boarded up “Dallas Grand Hotel” sitting outside of Deep Ellum on 1914 Commerce St. It was originally named “Statler Hilton,” opened in 1956, first hotel grandfather Hilton built with architect William B. Tabler and closed in 2001. Though the questions came about, “..Would you run out in front of the building before they knock it down?…” and she answered “..Eeeeehhh… Not exactly, but I would like to see it before they tear it down…”
It would be interesting if she came out to renovate the Dallas Grand Hotel, she’d probably make it sparkle! Though maybe she has bigger plans, like building something brand new, in the mist of Ivanka Trump with her own SoHo Hotel Condo in New York named “Trump SoHo.”
Though someone must be thinking about renovating it. The closest hotels near Deep Ellum currently are Hotel Indigo Dallas Downtown, Magnolia Hotel, and Adam’s Mark Hotel. There others, but you Google it. (If you didn’t know Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel is being renovated and won’t open till next year 2009. The Big Blinking Ball in the air is redoing it’s restaurant and observation deck. As well as the “world renown” culinary chief will change, I wonder who it will be??? No one knew/remembers who the previous one was!)
Dallas Grand Hotel is right there! I drive by it all the time! Hmm. There are no more actual working hotels in Deep Ellum, though there still is the historic Boyd Hotel, 2936A Elm St., which Bonnie and Clyde shacked in and other famous people like Blind Lemmon Jefferson. Now it’s a chic low-key restaurant called Local, which is the bottom half the once Boyd Hotel. I’m still thinking about how good the food was from December (I had the lamb).
In the 1920s - 1930s there were these rooms where musicians stayed in for a night or two (maybe longer) that had no bathroom just a square where they piled in and slept. Then wake up and perform or continue their travelling tour. There are some spaces still around, I think there is a group of them right between Commerce St. & Canton St., and between Hall St. & Walton St. (I think, correct me if I’m wrong.)
I’ve looked at the ultimate goal, future plans, drawling, layout; of what the City of Dallas wants Deep Ellum to look like in the (near possible) future. I never uploaded the pictures on the Internet, because my computer kept crashing, but maybe I’ll get it up soon because of this blog. Well! There is an ideal spot for a hotel to be placed. Umm, the lot that it takes over is placed on top of Lizard Lounge / The Church. (As well as the space behind Lizard Lounge that has bad luck, actually bad management with mean bouncers that made me not ever want to go back, the club use to be called Seven on 2505 Pacific Ave. Now they renamed it, own by someone, and I heard they have a gay night. I should check it out, but I still have remorse over big mean-o bouncers and scary pot-holed parking area.) I don’t know if Don Nedler knows about the “Ultimate Future Plan.” Well… Maybe he does, because he use to go to every single Deep Ellum Association meeting (During Laura Miller’s reign) because he was in the DE “pool.” Meaning whatever happeneds here effects them (businesses/residents on the outskirts of Deep Ellum) and whatever happeneds there effects us.
I don’t think Don Nedler would sell out and let them build a hotel over him. I believe The Lizard Lounge has the best club layout over everyone in Deep Ellum bear comparison to the competing districts *cough* Lower Greenville and West End (The M, The Metro, The M-whatever, that keeps closing, next door to the Dallas Aquarium, though they get to be on TV). I do love Lizard Lounge’s layout, it has a stage, steps that allocate the dance floors, and two Go-Go closed-end area; one for Go-Go/patrons and the other for big honcho Disc Jockeys. The second floor outlines the dancing floor with rolly royalty chairs and right below it has tables and chairs. What’s hot is the second room for a different flare of music with it’s own dance floor, or move into the quiet star LED lit room, as well as a patio downstairs and upstairs. Who can beat that? Seriously. What I consider a not-so-good club layout is Europa, the club has three major parts; a video-esk bar with too much room and bar stools, main room which is flat with not much allocation between the dance floor and the main bar that gives this uneasy feeling. Then an over sized Indian/harem theme with long benches and tables. They didn’t get their SUP from the City of Dallas, so that club no longer stands.
BUT! Yes, but! The “Future Plan Layout” is a mock-up of what the city wants/plans to do. Though, it’s just a drawling… There is a space where the Indiana Lofts where going to be built, and look out from Highway 45 and 30 to Deep Ellum, you can seen that building a mile away, literally! Also the building kinda looks like the drawling. The Indiana will be cool with apartments 420+ units on top and 10,000 sq/ft with retail on the ground by Alliance Commercial Real Estate.
I would rather have an older whimsical classic style than something post-modern. The Wilson Building ran by Post Management in downtown is so lovely, and would be great it if was here in DE. Anything that would make an architectural statement on Deep Ellum would float by boat just fine.
via Apartments.com
Hmm… What else is going to come true from that mock-up drawling? Possibly that hotel? Maybe.
Sincerely,
Brian Tran
SAVEDEEPELLUM.ORG
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What was mentioned:
Local
2936A Elm St.
Dallas, TX 75226
214 752.7500
Lizard Lounge / The Church
2424 Swiss Ave.
Dallas, TX 75226
214 826.4768
Links:
DallasVoice.com
DallasArchitecture.info
Apartments.com