History
Originally a floodplain, the city of Dallas built levees and diverted the Trinity River away from Downtown, creating what is now the Design District.
Trammell Crow identified the area as having potential for industrial development and began construction on multiple warehouses in the late 1940’s through the 1950’s. Over time, the area became of interest for a group of decorators and salesmen of fine furniture, gifts, carpet/ rugs, and wall covering companies.
The Design District really kicked off after Trammell Crow proposed and built the Dallas Decorative Center in 1955. This allowed all of the decorators and salesmen to hold consolidated conventions and showcase their merchandise. Ten years later, the Federal Government built Interstate 35 along the northeast edge of the Design District further improving access to the area.
The Design District now encompasses the zone between the Trinity River and Interstate 35, and remains the last infill canvas of unique adaptive reuse opportunities in Dallas.
