BY STEVE BROWN | REAL ESTATE EDITOR | THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS | –
Tenants have started moving into the new KMPG Plaza tower in Dallas’ Arts District.
The 18-story high-rise is the first multi-tenant office building to open its doors downtown in a decade.
The building is already more than 70 percent leased to businesses.
“UMB Bank has already moved in,” said developer Craig Hall. “Spencer Stuart – which we haven’t really announced – will start moving later this week.
“KPMG will start moving in about a week.”
Executive search firm Spencer Stuart is relocating its office from the Galleria complex in Far North Dallas to 6,000 square feet in the project at 2323 Ross Avenue.
The 500,000-square-foot glass and steel office tower sits across the street from the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Developer Hall Financial will move its offices to the building sometime in September, Hall said. Law firm Jackson Walker will be relocating to the building about the same time.
A formal grand opening of the tower is set for early October.
But the lobby areas, elevators and many other sections of the building are mostly done.
Work crews are busy finishing a plaza area that surrounds the tower. A sculpture garden on the east side of the building that includes a walkway running between Flora Street and Ross is almost done with several large artworks already installed.
“We still have more artwork to install in the lobby,” Hall said Tuesday morning while showing off the project. “The new buildings have such a different feeling than the 1980s buildings which are dark inside and have less glass.”
Construction started on Hall’s downtown building in late 2013.
KPMG Plaza is the first phase of the 3-building Hall Arts complex at Ross Avenue and Leonard Street.
A 30-story condo tower and another large office high-rise are also planned.
“We are thinking hard about starting another building but we are not there yet,” Hall said.
Hall has been working on the project since 1995 when he bought the strategically located downtown development site for $10.5 million.
The project was planned by Dallas architect HKS. Turner Construction is the general contractor.
There will be about 20,000 square feet of retail space on the lower two floors of the building.
Chef Stephan Pyles plans to open a new flagship restaurant in the building later this year on Flora Street, facing the Myerson.
“This project had a long wait but we are very happy how it turned out,” Hall said. “It’s been more complicated and difficult than I expected.
“We gave our first tenants an exceptional deal, but I’m not unhappy about that,” he said. “It was the right thing to do.”
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