Relocating her business to the Trinity Design District a few months ago has already paid off, says Susanne Walker.
Her company, Walker & Co., an interior design and imported-furniture retailer, pays around $6 per square foot for a newly renovated 19,000-square-foot facility that doubles as a showroom and warehouse space.
"If you are in the design world you live in this area," Walker said. "At the World Trade Center we couldn't have had this much space, and the access in and out of this facility is much better."
Walker's is just one of a growing number of businesses benefiting from the district's revitalization.
The Trinity Design District lies directly south of the Dallas Design District, which runs from Stemmons Freeway to Industrial Boulevard. With the principal design district largely built out, the more southerly area, though peppered with dilapidated buildings and trucks in transit, is now attracting interest from developers.
One of the leading developers behind the resurgence of the Trinity Design District is Jim Lake Cos., headed by Jim Lake Jr. The company redevelops industrial, warehouse and design space.
"What has been happening on a small scale is as (Dallas Design District) was built out people have been hopping over Industrial to come to this section," Lake said.
Among the area's attractions are its proximity to downtown, the World Trade Center and the Medical District, as well as the availability of low-cost space and multiuse facilities. The district also has held up in both good and bad times. This year, the Jim Lake Cos. reported a 94% occupancy rate for 1.5 million square feet of property in the Trinity Design District submarket.
A rezoning of the Trinity Design District, passed last August, which relaxed parking and trash bin restrictions among other building requirements, has also sparked a surge in interest.
And these facts have not escaped established users, who often spot opportunities to purchase space and redevelop their own facilities.
Jim Lake Cos. has added 450,000 square feet to its Trinity Design District portfolio this year. Properties cater to the needs of design-related companies, production studios, photographers, printers and other arts-related businesses.
- Sandra Zaragoza, Dallas Business Journal
