People walked back and forth in downtown Denton as the owners of various historical and vacant buildings answered questions from residents about the possible future for their buildings if they were restored.
Saturday’s Imagine the Possibilities Tour allowed residents, investors, history buffs and entrepreneurs to tour various Denton properties that have been vacant and to learn more about each building.
“Our overall hope is that some of our building owners will find new tenants to lease the spaces they have left, or to buy a building and fix it up,” said Christine Gossett, executive director of Denton Main Street Association. “We’re hoping people will use their creative talents to turn it into a place or a space where people can work.”
One of the highlights of the tour was representatives from Scott Brown Properties, which included Brown himself, answering questions from the public about the proposed $100 million redevelopment of downtown Denton centered around the Wells Fargo tower that could transform the area by 2025.
Several interior concepts of the proposed building were shown to the public, which included a possible speakeasy and a lobby bar with a restaurant and rooftop access.
Brandy Bobbitt, Scott Brown Commercial property manager, presented a concept for the proposed hotel, with a convention center and parking garage.
Bobbitt said the proposed garage would be a six-story parking site with an estimated 468 parking spaces. Bobbitt said there wasn't a set hourly rate but free parking is likely to be available for up to four hours.
Bobbitt said the top of the parking garage would feature a 50,000-square-foot green space for outdoor events. She said events hosted by the property would not interfere with events that are already going on downtown on the square.
Bobbitt also said Brown understands price concerns from potential retail tenants around the hotel property.
“There’s still going to be the same prices as if you were running any of the spaces in downtown,” Bobbitt said, “The hotel is what’s going to float the mortgage for the project, but he [Brown] still wants to make sure these spaces are available and affordable for the people downtown that are just trying to grow their business, whether it’s a smaller company or a bigger company.”
The feedback on the proposal has been mixed.
“[The feedback] has either been amazing to 100% we need this to ‘Oh my God, no, we can’t, let’s all stand under the wrecking ball and not let this happen,’” Bobbitt said.
Other locations on the tour included the Fine Arts Theater, which is owned by Brad Andrus of Denton-based Axis Realty Group. The theater was bought back in 2018.
Originally built as the Graham Opera House in 1877, it was repurposed as the Texas Theatre in 1935 and renamed the Fine Arts Theater in 1957. Film screenings were held under that name until 1982, when a fire closed down the cinema.
Andrus had a crowd of people asking him questions about the restoration of the theater. The inside of the theater was empty with no floor tiles and loose debris. While no one was allowed inside, it did give a chance for residents to see the possibilities should the theater be restored.
“There’s a big financial gap between what it costs [and] what is economically feasible to make this project happen,” Andrus said. “The community feedback, though, is very strong, and they want to see it happen. We hear the community and we’re trying to figure it out.”
Alexis McKinney of Architexas spoke to the public about the plans for City Hall West, which has been vacant for more than five years.
McKinney said it was not a priority at the time for the City Council, but they are now seeing if different concept ideas are still what the community wants.
“The city is looking for public input on what the needs are of the community and the best use of the building going forward,” McKinney said. "The plan has been to restore the auditorium.”
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