A $4-Mil Restaurant and "Basement Ultra Lounge" Planned for 1400 Main

View Larger Map What you see above is 1400 Main Street, directly across from the Davis Building and next door to City Tavern. Right now, it's but 11,000 square feet of nada, a 1954-built building on the tax rolls for some $2 million that isn't generating a cent in tax...

By Robert Wilonsky

December 9, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

View Larger Map

What you see above is 1400 Main Street, directly across from the Davis Building and next door to City Tavern. Right now, it's but 11,000 square feet of nada, a 1954-built building on the tax rolls for some $2 million that isn't generating a cent in tax revenue for the city. Which is why, at tomorrow's marathon end-of-the-year city council blowout, the council will likely approve a development agreement with the building's owner, Brian Foster, who's promising to invest $4 million in the property in exchange for $475,000 from the City Center Tax Increment Financing District.

The city will pay Foster $275,000 one year after the building gets its Final Certificate of Occupancy -- which should be around April 1, 2009, according to tomorrow's agenda, where 1400 Main takes up Items No. 46 and 47. He'll get another $200,000 one year after that. And for what? Says the agenda: "The project includes the renovation of the building with a full-service restaurant, basement ultra lounge and a second-level upscale dining and cocktail area." After the jump, a peek at what the outside of the building's supposed to look like upon completion. --Robert Wilonsky

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.