After floating an ambitious plan to transform the former Dallas Morning News building into an entertainment district, Dallas businessman Ray Washburne is instead going to sell it to a company that will turn it into a data center.

Washburne, who also owns or co-owns the Mi Cocina chain as well as Highland Park Village, acquired the newspaper's ex-headquarters at 508 Young St. in 2019 for $28 million, with an elaborate plan to transform it into a hotel and entertainment complex.

Washburne stated that he would keep the existing building and convert it into a 200- to 300-room boutique business hotel. His plans won over the hearts of preservation types as well as newspaper employees who had an emotional attachment to the building. Many admiring stories were written.

Plans that will now not come to fruition include the creation of an entertainment district with restaurants — Mi Cocina, maybe? — and possibly a Gilley's or Billy Bob's venue.

In a subscriber-only story, Washburne told the DMN he has a contract for the building with a data company — whose secret identity he won't divulge — but he claims the company will preserve the original News edifice and build a new addition behind it.

“My intention was to turn in into an entertainment district, and I was waiting to see what would happen, but I couldn’t get anything out of the city,” Washburne said.

Dallas City Hall is currently spending at least $3.5 billion on a new convention center to replace the current one, which they've deemed is obsolete.

According to the DMN, Washburne said his preference was to "sell it to the city" or develop an entertainment district.

"I wanted to do a joint venture, and I spent millions on plans, but I can’t go ahead without a firm understanding of what the city wants to do," Washburne said. "Communication has been basically zero… [and] I’m not going to wait another five years."