Is it just me or does Cityplace Tower look like a giant, red exclamation point against the Dallas skyline? This 42-story building at 2711 North Haskell Avenue is more than just office space. It’s a statement.
The Cityplace Tower stands 560 feet tall. It is the tallest building in Dallas outside of Downtown. People also previously knew it as the Tower at Cityplace.
Let’s step back to the mid-1980s. Southland Corporation, now 7-Eleven, wanted a grand headquarters. They envisioned Cityplace East as the first phase of a massive development. A twin tower, CityPlace West, was planned across North Central Expressway. The plan included a skybridge that would connect the two over the highway. Several mid-rise buildings were also planned.
Construction on Cityplace Tower began in December 1984. It finally opened in 1988 after delays. Southland’s buyout in 1987 changed everything. The need for headquarters space decreased by 50%. This left the lower 19 floors of Cityplace Tower vacant. Its unique floorplate made converting the space to speculative office space difficult. However, the building eventually filled despite a real estate crash in Dallas. Cityplace East was renamed Cityplace Tower. It became the last major skyscraper built in Dallas during the 1980s.
Additional Cityplace plans were put on hold in 1989. Southland sold the land intended for CityPlace West. Today, that area is home to the West Village development.
In 2000, DART’s Cityplace Station opened. It sits beneath North Central Expressway. It provides access to both sides of the highway. The east entrance is at the bottom of Cityplace Tower.
7-Eleven moved to One Arts Plaza in 2007. This left half of Cityplace Tower vacant. Ashkenazy & Agus Ventures bought the property. They spent $7 million on upgrades. Plans to turn the top floors into luxury apartments were scrapped. New office tenants changed those plans. The building was briefly renamed Tower at Cityplace again.
Cityplace Tower cost nearly $300 million. It was the most expensive office project ever built in Dallas. The lower floors had unique facilities. The ground floor features a large conference center. It also has a 175-seat auditorium, a cafeteria, and a fitness center. Seven 5-story atrium lobbies are spaced throughout the tower. These provide amazing views.
Look at the building’s facade. It uses Brazilian red granite. The first four floors feature pink and white marble, imported wood paneling, and decorative tile. Elevators are lined with brass, polished wood, stone, and cut mirrors. Cityplace Tower also boasts a 3400-car underground parking garage.
Cityplace Tower is surrounded by amenities. There is an on-site fitness center and a connected DART Cityplace Station. It’s in a great location for work, life and play.
Cityplace Tower is more than just a building. It represents Dallas’s ambition and resilience.