A vacant apartment complex on Turtle Creek Boulevard in Dallas in the process of being demolished caught fire on November 30, with more than 60 firefighters responding to put out the flames.
The building was Turtle Creek Gardens, located at 2525 Turtle Creek Blvd., a condominium complex that was due to be razed.
According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, the building caught fire around 11 pm, and it's not yet known what caused the fire.
The complex was built in 1961, originally as apartments before transitioning into condominiums. In 2018, the condomium HOA put the property on the market, and in early 2022 sold to Houston-based Hanover Co., who have plans for twi high-rise residential buildings to go into the space.
The building was occupied until September 2022, when demolition began.
The fire occurred about 11 pm.Jonathan Hill
Although it was not architecturally significant, there were many mid-century fixtures and elements considered worth salvaging, and so a team including salvaging entrepreneur Jonathan Hill and Orr-Reed Architectural Co., the popular company south of downtown Dallas, were working together to find these fixtures new homes.
Hill had a truck parked at the property, and is crossing his fingers it didn't get burned.
"It was parked on the other side of the complex, so I'm hoping it's OK," he says.
He was initially concerned that the fire might interrupt their salvage work but he's been given the go-ahead to resume next week.
"We've retrieved most of the leftover furniture and other loose items, but there were things in the building we were still pulling out, like hardwood floors," he says. "We probably have another month's worth of activity."
