Downtown Dallas YMCA: From a Dallas Legend’s Broken Dream to a North Texas Sports Hub

By Jay Firsching

One of the major challenges of my job in historic preservation is avoiding the research rabbit hole. While digging into an archive, you stumble upon an intriguing factoid and before you know it, you’ve squandered most of your day chasing a captivating story that’s completely unrelated to your actual research agenda. The recent announcement that T. Boone Pickens YMCA downtown would be closing reminded me of one such research rabbit hole.

Having been a member of the downtown Dallas YMCA for many years, I often found myself puzzling over the origin of this unsightly building. During one of my research sessions, I fell down the rabbit hole that held the key to this mystery. Dallas is replete with tales of ambitious projects that never came to pass, and the story behind this one is quite remarkable.

J. Curtis Sanford Sr. And His Many Businesses

The developer behind this unconventional property was none other than J. Curtis Sanford Sr., a name likely familiar to Dallas natives and sports enthusiasts. As someone not well-versed in either category, I had to delve deeper to appreciate the legend that he was. Sanford, originally from Arkansas, began his career as a foundry worker in the East Texas oil fields in 1931. He later transitioned into brokering oil deals for Dallas clients and quickly established his own successful brokerage company. From there, his ventures diversified into everything from real estate development to poultry farming, furniture manufacturing, restaurants, and beyond. Though he possessed a multitude of talents, his true passion lay in promoting sports.

In 1936, after attending the Rose Bowl, Sanford was inspired to create Dallas’ own bowl game. He personally financed and founded the Cotton Bowl in 1937, with the inaugural game featuring Texas Christian and Marquette. Sanford managed the event himself until handing it over to the Southwest Conference in 1940. If you’re not familiar with Sanford as the founder of the Cotton Bowl, you might recognize him as the owner of Texas’ first professional football team, the Dallas Texans.

Perhaps you associate him with bowling. Sanford’s love for the sport led him to develop bowling facilities across Dallas, including Valwood Lanes, the Cotton Bowling Palace, and the Bronco Bowl on Fort Worth Avenue. Completed in 1961 and arguably his crowning achievement, the impressive Bronco Bowl boasted 72 lanes with an additional six dedicated to professional tournament play. Here, he established Dallas’ first professional bowling team, The Broncos. The man was an unstoppable force, with the Dallas Morning News aptly describing him as someone who “had a new idea every few minutes on how to make a million dollars.”

The Sanford Center

Sanford initially unveiled his plans for his prominent lot at Ross and Akard in 1958 but didn’t break ground on the project until 1961, coinciding with the Bronco Bowl’s debut. The aptly named Sanford Center was envisioned as a $12 million project designed by architects Roper & Vance. The three-story base would house retail and parking, topped by a 26-story luxury apartment and hotel tower complete with roof gardens and a pool. A rendering of this proposed building, as featured in The Dallas Morning News, showcased its stunning design.

The building site was situated on one of the most sought-after corners in the red-hot Dallas development market of the time. Cary Plaza, another luxury apartment and hotel complex, was under construction across the street to the north, and it now stands as the Fairmont Hotel. Great Southwestern Life was breaking ground on their ultramodern new headquarters at the intersection’s northeast corner and now houses the Fashion Industry Gallery. Meanwhile, the massive First National Bank was rising a block to the south, and the LTV Tower project was in full swing further down Elm Street.

Sanford Center only reached the third floor before the project ground to a halt. The exact reasons remain somewhat unclear, but it seems that Sanford may have missed his window of opportunity due to the oversaturated market and dwindling investor interest. The dream was dashed, and the property was repurposed as a public parking garage with a bank occupying the first floor.

From Parking Garage to Downtown Dallas YMCA

For nearly two decades, the Sanford Parking Garage served this function until the YMCA acquired the property in 1980 and commenced construction on its new downtown flagship. The renovated garage provided ample new space for sports activities and marked a significant shift in YMCA programming. Gone were the days of free meals and budget accommodations, these being replaced by a pro shop and health food bar. Meanwhile, the historic YMCA building, erected in 1930 just up the street, was sold and eventually met its end through implosion in 1982.

And so, the broken dream of a Dallas sports legend unexpectedly became a focal point for community sports activities. The unconventional design of the downtown YMCA is the result of it being an adapted parking garage originally constructed to serve a luxury apartment hotel. Curtis Sanford’s untimely passing in 1972 at the age of 69 notwithstanding, one can’t help but think he would find satisfaction in knowing that the Sanford Center evolved into a major center for community sports in North Texas. Let’s hope that whatever emerges on this site next pays a fitting tribute to Sanford’s dream.