Press Releases

Granite Properties’ Factory Six03 Officially Opens Breathing New Life into Dallas’ Historic West End

Granite Properties, a commercial real estate investment, development and management company, announced today the official opening of Factory Six03 in Dallas’ historic West End. Granite redeveloped and restored the iconic 114-year-old warehouse, formerly known as the West End Marketplace, into a creative workspace with modern fixtures while preserving many of the building’s historic assets.

“Factory Six03 is a game changer. Granite’s redevelopment of the historic warehouse will bring new life into the West End, further establishing the area as Dallas’ innovation district,” said Mayor Rawlings. “Exciting workspaces like Factory Six03 will attract more companies, innovative people and bright, young talent to Dallas and support our overall economic success,” he added.

The warehouse on 603 Munger Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stood empty for almost a decade, with many of the surrounding buildings underutilized. Granite bought the building in 2015, when the West End began growing as an innovation and knowledge district, with the plan to redevelop it into a modern workspace with a historic look and feel designed to appeal to younger generations and creative users.

“We create innovative workspaces to inspire people to flourish and Factory Six03 exemplifies what Granite is all about,” said Michael Dardick, Founding Partner and C.E.O. of Granite Properties. “We saw many reasons why redeveloping Munger 603 would make the West End valuable again, ranging from its proximity to Victory Park and Uptown to its aesthetic value. I’m proud of the Granite team and their hard work to redevelop one of Dallas’ very few historic buildings into the most creative office space this city has ever seen,” he added.

Factory Six03 offers 215,000 RSF of modern office space. The company added two floors with Dallas skyline views; an eighth floor with a tenant lounge, outdoor patio and conference center called “The Stack”; and, a fifth floor on another portion of the building with a glass office and a terrace. Granite removed the interior escalators and revamped the famous Atrium that was built in the 1980s. Other new additions include contemporary furniture throughout the building, underground parking, a modern glass vestibule, an outdoor plaza, a community lobby with a coffee lounge and ground floor restaurant space. Its first tenant, C1 Innovation Lab by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas moved in this summer.

“Factory Six03 is perfect for companies that want amenity rich workspaces that offer a mix of experience and lifestyle to attract and retain workers,” said Greg Fuller, President and C.O.O. of Granite Properties. “We’re honored to have played a role in reviving the West End and plan to redevelop and restore more historic buildings in Dallas and other cities as well,” he added.

Granite kept and restored many of the building’s historic features inside the structure including the original exposed brick, a two-story biscuit brick oven from its days as a cookie maker, a one-ton scale and the original hardwood floors. Granite restored the historic metal-framed windows and repurposed old doors found in the building into doors or beams. The company also refurbished the three iconic roof top cylindrical water tanks and they remain on the roof.

The building has new plumbing, new elevators and new, exposed HCAV. It also showcases many pieces of art including a multi-color installation designed by Dallas-based End Design, a sculpture of a mockingbird designed by Texas artists Sergio Garcia and Micah Smith and a restored Buddy Holly statue from Planet Hollywood.

Granite partnered with Dallas-based architect GFF, historic preservation architect Architexas, general contractor DPR Construction and landscape architect Mesa Design Group to redevelop Factory Six03.

The original structure was built in phases, starting in 1903, when it was home to the Brown Cracker & Candy Co. It became the Sunshine Biscuit Company in 1926, and a furniture distributor in the 1960s. It is most recently known as the West End Marketplace, which was established in 1985, and was home to a 10-screen movie theater. Planet Hollywood moved in on the first floor in 1991. The movie theater closed in 2000, Planet Hollywood left in 2001, and the building had been vacant since 2006.

About Granite Properties Granite Properties is a privately held commercial real estate investment, development and management company founded in 1991, with offices in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver and Southern California. It has completed more than $6.1 billion in real estate transactions and more than 26 million square feet of real estate development and acquisitions. Granite focuses its expertise, business approach and financial resources to help their customers, communities and their people thrive.

About DPR Construction DPR Construction (DPR) is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the healthcare, advanced technology/mission critical, life sciences, higher education and commercial markets. Founded in 1990, DPR is a privately held, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the country.