With Pending Closure, Will the Flagship Neiman Marcus 1914 Building Come Down?

Our built history is not simply a part of our architectural heritage; it’s also part of our souls. There is no finer example than the Neiman Marcus flagship store in downtown Dallas. This retail establishment has been a part of our collective history since 1907, and on March 31, we will lose a historic shopping experience. But will we lose the building as well?  

Questions Remain as Saks Global to Shutter Neiman Marcus Downtown, Dallas HQ

Most of you know by now that the Neiman Marcus store at 1618 Main St. is closing. While we are all gutted by the loss of an important part of our cultural heritage, we are also deeply concerned about what will happen to the historic 1914 building.

Although the building was landmarked by the Texas Historical Commission, that does not save it from possible demolition. “In 2019, the Texas state legislature made it difficult to landmark a building without the property owner’s consent,” Senior Planner for the City of Dallas, Rhonda Dunn, said. “In the past, we would initiate the process, but it no longer works that way.”

When Al Neiman, his wife, Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her brother Herbert Marcus Sr. opened Neiman Marcus at Elm and Murphy in 1907, they wanted to create a new retail shopping experience by decorating their store in an ornate manner and offering luxury goods never before seen in Dallas. Remember, plenty of cotton and oil heirs had money to spend, so this was not a far-fetched idea.  The original building they moved into was constructed in 1881 and belonged to Mrs Jules E. Schneider. Neiman Marcus shared the building with Mrs. M. E. Hutcheson’s millinery shop.

The store was a great success until May 11, 1913, when a fire gutted it. By August of that same year, the trio had reopened in temporary quarters at 1016-1018 Elm St. and began planning for the ultimate luxury goods establishment. They would not move into a pre-existing building but build something Dallas had never seen before.

They secured a 99-year lease from the estate of J. C. O’Connor for land on the corner of Main and Ervay for $3.5 million. In February of 1914, they announced Watson Construction Company as the contractor for the fireproof structure and Hubbell & Green Architects to design an ornate Renaissance Revival structure. The Dallas Morning News reported, “..it will follow classical lines, and the building is to be one of the most modern and best furnished in the entire southwest. A basement and four stories with a structure strong enough to support six additional stories, which may be added later. There was even a kitchen and lunch room in the basement.

The team wasted little time, and the new store opened on September 15, 1914. In 111 years, The Store, as it was dubbed, has delivered luxury goods but brought us experiences we will never forget. From the lavish Fortnight celebrations centered on different countries from 1957 to 1986 to the outrageous Christmas catalog products. Yes, you could buy a mummy case or a camel! And, of course, if you were lucky enough to experience Neiman’s famous Last Call sales, you could walk away in a pair of expensive shoes for a fraction of their original cost. Even if you could not afford to shop at Neiman Marcus, you could have lunch in the Zodiac Room or grab a cup of the White Bean Chicken Chili from the Espresso Bar. 

While we undergo an emotional wrecking ball to our lived experiences of Neiman Marcus, what’s to become of the iconic building? 

There is some distinct hope for the building to remain. I reached out to Jim Anderson, a preservation consultant who served the City of Dallas for 26 years as an urban planner in historic preservation and currently serves as an alternate on the City of Dallas Landmark Commission.

“Downtown preservation is at an all-time high primarily because of the available tax credits. With the current sentiment of downtown revitalization, I don’t see this building being torn down. I can see it being used for a hotel or residential as the highest and best use for that small piece of downtown property. With the new push for the convention center, this could easily become a hotel. The owners need to be educated as to what is happening in downtown Dallas and the tax incentive advantages. Look at the revival of the Wilson Building, the Statler, and the DP&L building. To tear the Neiman Marcus building down makes no sense.”

Let’s hope the owners are sensible.