The Statler Hilton

If you’ve been following my photoblog for a while, you know that I’ve posted a few photos of one of my favorite buildings in Dallas, the Statler Hilton (aka The Dallas Grand Hotel):

Built in 1956 and once considered the most luxurious hotel in the Southwest, it’s sat abandoned since 2001.  And while I, fearing trespassing charges, have had to satisfy myself with pictures of the exterior, some photographers have ventured inside.  Ever since I moved to Dallas ten years ago, it’s beckoned me with its storied past of celebrities and showgirls, not to mention its mid-century modern aesthetics.  For years, rumors have swirled about possible redevelopment plans, but the corporation that owned it just let it sit and rot, another symbol of urban decay.

But now, word has come that the property has been sold to an investment/real estate group with a proven track record of renovating old properties, and they intend to “make it look like it did in 1956.”

So here’s hoping that I–along with a lot of other curious people–will finally get to see the inside of this once grand establishment.

  • March 2, 2011