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

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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.

Chips and salsa — and dreams of a better Dallas — with Ray Washburne

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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.”

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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.”

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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, TX

Dallas weather: Storms return this week with large hail and tornado threat

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Dallas weather: Storms return this week with large hail and tornado threat


North Texans will enjoy a brief break today before the next weather system arrives, bringing multiple rounds of storms. A warmup is on the way, with temperatures climbing back into the mid-80s by the weekend.

Monday Forecast

Following a few morning showers in the eastern counties, expect a warm and breezy Monday. High temperatures will climb into the low 80s under partly cloudy skies.

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Tuesday Forecast

As an upper-level low-pressure system moves to the west, scattered storms will move into the region Tuesday afternoon. Some of these storms could become severe, with the primary threats being large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.

Simultaneously, storms are expected to develop ahead of a dryline to the west. While the tornado threat remains low in this area, any storms that form could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts. 

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7-Day Forecast

Those overnight storms should push out to the east by Wednesday morning, but don’t put the umbrella away just yet. As the main weather system moves directly over us Wednesday afternoon, we’ll likely see another round of scattered storms that could still bring with some hail. Once everything finally clears out Wednesday evening, we can look forward to some drier, much more comfortable air moving back into the area.

Thursday will be noticeably cooler, with high temperatures settling in the mid-60s. However, sunshine and a quick warmup are expected by the weekend. Temperatures will rebound into the 80s on Friday and Saturday.

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The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.

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Off-duty Dallas officer shoots at suspects allegedly trying to steal his vehicle in Addison, police say

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Off-duty Dallas officer shoots at suspects allegedly trying to steal his vehicle in Addison, police say



An off-duty Dallas police officer shot at a group of people allegedly trying to steal his personal vehicle on Sunday afternoon in Addison, officials said. 

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According to the Addison Police Department, around 2:15 p.m., the off-duty Dallas officer saw a group of people trying to steal his vehicle in a parking lot at 5000 Belt Line Road. He confronted the suspects, “and during the encounter, fired a weapon at the suspects’ vehicle.”

The suspects fled in their vehicle, Addison police said, and it is unknown if any suspects were hit by gunfire.

The investigation is ongoing.



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Dallas dropped the ball on the Wings’ practice facility

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Dallas dropped the ball on the Wings’ practice facility


The Dallas Wings can’t seem to get a win, at least when it comes to the team’s training facility and arena. Not only is its practice facility in west Oak Cliff, approved over the summer and fast-tracked to open ahead of the team’s spring season, now running behind schedule, it is also somehow over budget.

Dallas had already committed $55 million for the team’s practice facility, a price tag we were uncomfortable with from the beginning. At the time, city staff said that was the amount needed to build a training facility with the amenities and infrastructure required for a WNBA team. The city argued there were few viable alternative locations for the practice facility after delays with the convention center, and they were running out of time. Enter the $55 million facility at Joey Georgusis Park.

But now the project needs an additional $27 million to cross the finish line. How did costs increase so much in just a few months? And how did a project that was expedited to meet the team’s deadline end up falling behind and over budget?

City staff attribute the holdup to missed deadlines by the project management firm McKissack and McKissack and new requirements from the WNBA that weren’t part of the original scope. McKissack and McKissack didn’t respond to multiple messages seeking comment for this editorial. Whatever the company’s missteps, the city is ultimately responsible for conducting due diligence and making sure the project stays on track, and it couldn’t deliver what it promised.

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Now the city wants the Wings to take over. The city would cap its total contributions at $57 million, which includes $653,000 in delay reimbursements. The Wings would then cover the remaining costs, at least $27 million, needed to finish the practice facility and agree not to sue Dallas for the delays.

Some City Council members have suggested that Dallas should consider the American Airlines Center for the Wings’ practice facility and arena. But even though the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars, who currently play at the AAC, are looking to leave, their lease agreements run through 2031. That doesn’t do much for the Wings who need a practice facility now.

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Maybe all of this could have been avoided if the city had more seriously considered existing facilities that could have accommodated the Wings. That’s not to say the team doesn’t deserve a training space that will meet their needs, but repurposing an existing space instead of starting from the ground up might have saved both time and money.

This debacle is frustrating for the Wings, and it also isn’t a good look for the city. If Dallas can’t figure out how to deliver a practice facility that it promised to one of its professional sports teams, how can it hope to attract more businesses and major investments? Anyone watching this unfold would have good reason to question the city’s ability to deliver.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.

If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com



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