Oak Cliff News

Dallas enacts ordinance to protect historic Oak Cliff neighborhood

A prototypical Craftsman style house in Winnetka Heights.

Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association

A Dallas neighborhood has new protections: On April 24, the Dallas City Council unanimously voted to approve the South Winnetka Heights Conservation District, an ordinance that will protect the historic development patterns for the area and encourage development that is compatible with existing housing stock.

The area is part of the original 1908 Winnetka Heights neighborhood. The vast majority of the homes are Craftsman and Transitional Bungalow style and 91 of the 95 homes were built before 1939.

According to a release, it's a neighbor-led initiative that started in 2019, and it marks the City’s first new Conservation District since 2011, 8th overall in Oak Cliff, and 18th overall citywide.

“I am thrilled to see the creation of this new Conservation District in Oak Cliff thanks to the determination of our residents and follow through of our city staff, who overcame obstacles including the COVID-19 pandemic and a ransomware attack,” says Council Member Chad West. “As we plan strategically for Dallas’ growth, we need to simultaneously allow for the preservation of architectural history and culture. It can be a difficult balance, but we can and must do both.”

Michael “Patty” Evans is the local resident who led the initiative to establish the conservation district.

"We are excited and relieved that after four years of coming together to serve our neighborhood, the City of Dallas agreed that we are important, our neighborhood is important, and why we choose to live in South Winnetka Heights is worth saving," Evans says.

Neighborhood support was widespread, with 76 percent of property owners signing the petition to initiate the process.

Several other neighborhoods in District 1 have submitted paperwork to initiate the process to create other new Conservation Districts in the area.

The City Council also voted to create a new Special Provision Sign District (SPSD) for the Wynnewood Village shopping center. The 80-year old shopping center has a number of new stores coming, including a Target. The new SPSD will preserve historic signs like the original Wynnewood Village pylon sign through a condition to maintain legacy signs.

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Big deal

Houston investor acquires Bishop Arts mixed-use portfolio in $170M deal

Photo courtesy of Hines

Michelin-recognized Written by the Seasons is one of several Bishop Arts businesses acquired by a Houston-based investor.

A Houston investor has snapped up a mixed-use portfolio of nine buildings in the Bishop Arts District, the second Bishop Arts property acquisition since August.

Hines Global Income Trust told CultureMap it paid more than $170 million for a mixed-use complex with 539 apartments and 49,000 square feet of high-end shops. The Bishop Arts Portfolio, as Hines refers to the real estate package on its website, sits on almost seven acres.

“Bishop Arts is a special place, shaped by the care and investment of its prior ownership. We see our role as building on that foundation through thoughtful ownership and Hines’ integrated operating platform,” Corbin Eckel, managing director at Hines, told CultureMap.

Hines identified the seller as Dallas-based Exxir Capital. Exxir developed Oak Cliff's 750,000-square-foot, two-block Bishop Main Street area, which features retail, residences, and offices, and includes the properties acquired by Hines.

Tenants of the newly acquired properties include:

Italian restaurant Lucia, a Michelin recommended restaurant.
Michelin-praised Written by the Seasons, which serves a New American menu.
Paradiso, a Southern European-inspired eatery.
Bar Eden Lounge, a swanky cocktail bar.
Village Baking Co., an artisan bakery.

Hines is taking over all leases at the residential properties:

Bishop North, 200 N. Bishop Ave.
Bishop Canopy, 515 W. 10th St.
Bishop Flats, 305 and 431 Melba St.
Treehaus, 211 W. 10th St.
Retail at 308 and 275 N. Bishop Ave.; 404, 332, 336 and 337 Melba St.; and 403 and 321 W. Ninth St. Altogether, the portfolio’s retail component comprises 22 tenants.

The Hines deal comes two months after Dallas-based investor 90Ten purchased 301-321 N. Bishop Ave.301-321 N. Bishop Ave. in Bishop Arts. Tenants include burger diner Hunky’s, Italian pastry and coffee purveyor Palmieri Café, vintage clothing store Dolly on Bishop, gift shop Kawaii Candle Co., and cosmetics retailer Simply Bella.

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