Dallas, TX

Developer to sell former Dallas Morning News building as revamp plans fade

Published

10 months ago

February 2, 2025

Developer to sell former Dallas Morning News building as revamp plans fade

The property developer who purchased The Dallas Morning News’ old headquarters is selling it to a data center provider, all but foreclosing on his original vision of transforming the property into a modern hotel and entertainment complex.

Ray Washburne, a local developer and co-owner of Highland Park Village, told The News in an interview that he had a buyer in contract for the landmark building, located at 508 Young Street — a stone’s throw from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, which is slated to undergo a massive overhaul.

Citing confidentiality, Washburne declined to provide a sale price, or the name of the buyer, but said it was “one of the major data companies.” The deal is expected to close in April, he added.

According to Washburne, the new buyer intends to preserve the original News edifice, including the three-story “Rock of Truth” stone facade inscribed with a credo about journalism, but will build a new addition on the back end of the building for its data needs.

Back in 2019, A. H. Belo Corporation sold the downtown campus to Washburne for $28 million, whose original idea was to turn it into a linchpin of the area’s revitalization.

“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.

In a statement provided to The News, newly appointed Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said, “[The city] remains committed to the delivery of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCC) master plan. With that in mind, we will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure strong collaboration to the benefit of all.”

Washburne originally planned to turn the old newspaper campus into a hotel, entertainment and apartment development, but those ideas were upended by Dallas’ plan to spend at least $3.5 billion on a sprawling new convention center.

A lack of explanation from city officials about that plan prompted him to abandon his aspiration of turning it into Dallas’ analogue of San Antonio’s Pearl District, he told The News.

“My preference was to sell it to the city, or develop an entertainment district, but I never got clarity on what they wanted to do,” Washburne said, citing a lack of understanding about the new convention center’s layout.

“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,” he added.

“Communication has been basically zero… [and] I’m not going to wait another 5 years.”

The convention center reboot “is critical to the long term economic growth of the City,” Bizor Tolbert said.

“We have worked in good faith… but we will not negotiate something as critical as this in the press. We are scheduled to brief City Council on Wednesday during executive session, and will provide additional details as it appropriate,” she stated.

— Staff writer Devyani Chhetri contributed to this report

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Dallas Open announces exhibition match with John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and more

Published

15 hours ago

November 25, 2025

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Dallas Open announces exhibition match with John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and more

Former American tennis professionals John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, John Isner, and Sam Querrey will play in the 2026 Dallas Open All-American Classic, the tournament announced Monday.

The exhibition event will take place at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2026 ahead of the tournament’s main draw beginning on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

“We’re thrilled to bring together four beloved American tennis stars for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of entertainment,” said Dallas Open tournament director Peter Lebedevs in a news release.

McEnroe, 66, is a former world No. 1 in both doubles and singles and the only men’s player to ever hold both simultaneously. He has won multiple major titles in both with 7 singles majors, 9 doubles majors and one mixed doubles major.

Roddick, 43, is a former world No. 1 who won his only career major at the 2003 U.S. Open. He played in four other major finals (one at the U.S. Open and three at Wimbledon) losing them all to his rival Roger Federer.

“The Dallas Open has quickly become one of the premier events on the ATP Calendar,” Roddick said. ”I’m honored to play alongside these guys and be part of the night. We all know how to compete and have fun on the court, which is what this night is all about.”

Isner, 40, is a Dallas resident and former top-10 singles player with 16 career ATP titles. He was known for his powerful serve, which averaged about 140 mph, but which went over 155 mph on occasion. He’s also played in the longest tennis match of all time, winning over five sets and 183 games against Nicolas Mahut that took 11 hours and five minutes across three days at Wimbledon in 2010.

Querrey, 38, peaked at No. 11 in the men’s singles rankings, winning 10 career titles and having a career-best majors finish at the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2017.

Tennis fans will also recognize the quartet from their contributions in the media after retirement. McEnroe is a prominent tennis commentator for ESPN at major tournaments. Roddick hosts the “Served” podcast while Isner and Querrey are part of the “Nothing Major Show.”

Tickets for the exhibition are available with prices around $100.

The ATP-500 level Dallas Open tournament is set to feature top-ranked Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton as well as top-level Europeans in Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov. It will take place from Feb. 7 to Feb. 15, 2026 in Frisco.

For more sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News, click here.

To view subscription options for The News and SportsDay, click here.

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Dallas Wings bring up Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers for trade talk about first pick

Published

1 day ago

November 24, 2025

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Dallas Wings bring up Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers for trade talk about first pick

The Dallas Wings once again have the first overall pick after winning the 2026 Draft Lottery on Sunday evening. The 2026 WNBA Draft isn’t scheduled until Monday, April 13th, so there is a lot of time for the Wings to evaluate the draft class, but also explore other options for the pick.

Could the Dallas Wings explore trading the first overall pick? It’s certainly not out of the question, and Wings GM Curt Miller is at least open to the idea.

Drake Keeler of IX Sports reported that Wings GM Curt Miller said he he “already received more calls about potential trades for the #1 pick in the upcoming draft than he did in the lead-up to the 2025 draft.” But a lot of that is due to the talent available at the top of the draft.

“The Cailtin Clark draft, there was not going to be a trade, Paige [Bueckers] was not going to be traded, but it will be interesting, and it makes our job fun to listen to those phone calls that come in for the #1 pick. And we’ll do what’s best for our franchise.” Miller said.

Miller is saying that every team knew that they wouldn’t have traded the Paige Bueckers pick last year, and the Indiana Fever wouldn’t have traded the Caitlin Clark pick. Those were generational superstars from the moment they entered college, and the star power and popularity alone would’ve made it hard to trade those picks. The Indiana Fever are the most popular team in the WNBA because of Clark, and no team saw more social media growth this year than the Wings because of Bueckers.

Curt Miller said he’s already received more calls about potential trades for the #1 pick in the upcoming draft than he did in the leadup to the 2025 draft.
— Drake (@DrakeKeeler) November 24, 2025

READ MORE: Dallas Wings win WNBA Draft lottery, will pick No. 1 for second straight year

As of now, there is no player that is a lock to go first overall, but there are plenty of players who could be considered, including Lauren Betts, Awa Fam, Azzi Fudd, Ta’Niya Latson, and Olivia Miles. If it stays like that all year, and unless the Wings fall in love with a particular player, trading down a few spots may be a great opportunity to gain future draft capital.

If they enter the draft saying “We’d be happy with any of these three players,” they should trade back to the third pick, if the opportunity presents itself and the capital makes sense.

They could also use the pick to trade for a readymade star. A lot of players around the WNBA are entering free agency this offseason, which Miller says having Bueckers and the first pick will be a huge draw in free agency, but the Wings can also be aggressive in trades because of the pick.

READ MORE: Paige Bueckers praised by Cooper Flagg after support at recent Mavericks games

Stick with WingsGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Wings throughout the offseason.

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Eagles vs. Cowboys Live Updates, Score: Can Dallas Get a Big Win?

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2025

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Eagles vs. Cowboys Live Updates, Score: Can Dallas Get a Big Win?

We’ve got a good old-fashioned NFC East rivalry matchup in store for “America’s Game of the Week” on Sunday.

The Eagles (8-2) and the Cowboys (4-5-1) meet up in Texas for the latest installment of one of the NFL’s top rivalries. Philadelphia won the first game between these two teams to open the season back in September, taking down Dallas in a game that was much closer than many expected.

However, the Eagles have largely looked the part of a defending Super Bowl champion since that game. They enter Sunday’s tilt as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Cowboys, however, have had a bumpy year. They have a tough hill to climb to make the postseason, but it seems possible with newcomer Quinnen Williams leading an improved defensive unit.

Will Philly maintain control of the NFC, or can Dallas start a winning streak and make a playoff push?

Follow along for Sunday’s highlights!

4:58p ET