Jim Lake Asks City to Scrap Historic Overlay of Burned Ambassador Hotel

When Jim Lake purchased the Ambassador Hotel in 2015, the goal was to take the existing historic structure and transform it into chic apartments. The building, which was built in 1904 as the Majestic Hotel, was the victim of a blaze in 2019 that gutted the building. Unlike the legendary phoenix, the Ambassador’s plans for rebirth was left in the ashes, too.

According to a rezoning request filed with the city today, the Jim Lake Companies are looking to get rid of the historic overlay designation that the company fought so hard for. The designation, which took years of planning and work with state and local officials, was intended to help the developer receive tax credits for its planned transformation. But with the lot cleared and the redevelopment plan scrapped, it appears the Jim Lake Companies are looking to widen the market for the empty lot prior to selling.

Ambassador Hotel Lot Rezoning Jim Lake by Jo Jemison England on Scribd

A History of The Ambassador Hotel

Located in The Cedars neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown, the stately six-story structure was a skyscraper in its day. Originally named the Majestic Hotel, the building was renamed the Park Hotel and then The Ambassador Hotel.

Between an underground speakeasy where the elite gathered during Prohibition and famous guests like Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson who walked the halls, the hotel’s storied past is embedded deep in Big D lore.

The structure received updates in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1980s, at which time the property was a popular landing spot for Dallas artists. The Ambassador Hotel was entered on the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 2019. Originally a red brick building, the stucco cladding was added in 1932. It was designated a city landmark in 1982 and became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965.

The entire building was engulfed in flames on May 28, 2019, and was scraped shortly thereafter.