Downtown Dallas emptied out after the 1980s office bust, and for years many of its early skyscrapers sat vacant. Starting in the 2000s, developers began turning them into apartments. Today Downtown / Farmers Market is the largest neighborhood in this directory, with 46 buildings and 11,304 apartments, and a striking number of them occupy buildings that were never meant to be homes.
Short answer: The oldest building in this directory’s Downtown category, The Wilson Building, was completed in 1904. Others include The Kirby (1913), the Interurban Building (1916), 1900 Elm (1929), 400 North Ervay (1930), Dallas Power and Light Lofts (1931) and 1900 Pacific (1952). The Statler, a 1956 hotel, reopened in 2017 with 219 apartments on its upper floors. Converted buildings offer high ceilings, big windows and real architecture, but ask about parking, layouts and older systems before you sign.
A sampling of downtown’s conversions
| Building | Originally built | Units | Floors |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wilson Building | 1904 | 135 | 8 |
| The Kirby | 1913 | 161 | 17 |
| Interurban Building | 1916 | 134 | 9 |
| 1900 Elm | 1929 | 129 | |
| 400 North Ervay | 1930 | 78 | 5 |
| Dallas Power and Light Lofts | 1931 | 163 | 19 |
| 1900 Pacific Residences | 1952 | 149 | 18 |
What you gain
- Character. Terrazzo lobbies, ornate facades, original elevator banks and tall windows you will not find in new construction.
- Ceiling height. Early office floors were built tall, so converted units often feel larger than their square footage.
- Location. Six DART rail stations serve downtown: Convention Center, Union, West End, Akard, St. Paul and Pearl. Main Street Garden, Klyde Warren Park, Pacific Plaza and Harwood Park, which opened in 2023, are all within walking distance.
What to ask about
- Parking. Many historic buildings have no garage of their own. Ask where residents park, whether it is an off-site garage, and what it costs.
- Layouts. Office floor plates produce unusual apartments: deep units with windows on one side, interior bedrooms, or columns in odd places. Look at the floor plan, not just the photos.
- Windows. Historic windows are beautiful but may not open, and can be less efficient in a Dallas summer. Ask about cooling costs.
- Elevators and systems. Ask how many elevators serve the building and how old the mechanical systems are.
- Noise. Downtown is busier at night than it used to be. Ask which way the unit faces.
New construction downtown, too
Not every downtown building is a conversion. The category also includes newer buildings such as Parc on Jackson and Pearl Lofts, both completed in 2025, for renters who want modern layouts in the same location. Browse all 46 on the Downtown / Farmers Market page.