Dallas’ 27-acre mixed-use district known as The Central is moving into its next stage of development with new plans for high-density residential and luxury hospitality components.
Artemio De La Vega, CEO of De La Vega Development, confirmed to the Dallas Business Journal that the project is currently in the permitting phase for a 400-unit residential high-rise and a comprehensive wellness club. The Dallas-based development firm has also secured a contract with a third-party developer to bring a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel to the urban site.
The hotel portion of the project is expected to have about 200 rooms, with construction potentially beginning in the first quarter of 2027. Meanwhile, the wellness club is on a more accelerated timeline and could break ground as early as this summer.
De La Vega indicated the health center is designed to be a premier regional destination, featuring multiple swimming pools, a gym, a spa and an integrated restaurant.
The upcoming residential tower follows the completion of the project’s first phase, which included a19-story, 321-unit apartment building named The Oliver. Developed in partnership with Dallas-based StreetLights Residential, The Oliver opened in October 2024 at 2750 North Haskell Avenue.
The master plan for The Central also includes three restaurants situated around a 2-acre programmed park, according to the publication. Two of these dining concepts are expected to be new entries to the Dallas-Fort Worth market from outside the region. The development team is also exploring the addition of a new office building adjacent to the planned hotel.
The project, at the intersection of U.S. 75 and North Haskell Avenue, has been in progress since land acquisition began in 2017. According to the outlet, the site notably gained widespread attention in 2020 when a partial building demolition resulted in the viral “Leaning Tower of Dallas.”
While the pandemic caused initial delays to the construction schedule, work officially resumed in the fall of 2022. De La Vega said that the current progress signifies that the long-term vision for the strategically located acreage is finally coming together.
The Central’s site connects to nearby affluent neighborhoods, including Highland Park, Uptown and the Knox-Henderson corridor.
— Eric Weilbacher
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