A newly launched firm, Line Design, has been selected as the design architect for the 805 Elm Street redevelopment by Sycamore Development, the project’s lead developer.

805 Elm is the $103-million adaptive reuse and new two-block redevelopment project in downtown Dallas that will bring 154 new multifamily units, a public landscape plaza, and ground-floor retail to two historic buildings and three adjacent parcels in the West End district.

The project will convert the historic Emerson-Brantingham building and adjacent lots into a transit-oriented community that includes:

  • the adaptive reuse of the historic 805 Elm structure
  • the rehabilitation of the 711 Elm parking garage
  • a new six-story building

The project also features nearly 26,500 square feet of commercial space and a 25,700-square-foot public pedestrian plaza.

The Dallas City Council approved a $49 million incentive package for the project in December 2024.

Focused on mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily, historical/adaptive reuse and new commercial developments across Texas and beyond, Line Design was founded by architects Adam Jones, RA, and Taylor Cell, who bring a combined 40 years of experience to the practice.

According to a release, the duo have expertise in both historical/adaptive reuse and new construction, with a portfolio spanning throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Washington, D.C. and internationally — in mixed-use developments and redevelopments, including The Statler Hilton, LTV Tower, The National at 1401 Elm, Lone Star Gas Lofts and ground-up projects like Frisco’s Hall Park Hotel and Grand Prairie’s EpicCentral.

That’s a lot of achievements, but devising an SEO-friendly name doesn’t seem to be in their skillset. Then again, one supposes that SEO-friendly handles are the turf of lifestyles news websites like CultureMap, rather than architecture firms that specialize in urban projects. It’s not like developers are going to be googling “urban architectural firms”; it’s a word-of-mouth thing, see.

Besides, the low-key “Line Design” is surely more preferable to the desperate stuff you see where companies insist on ALL CAPS or else intentionally misspell Kocktail or use accents like a line over the capital Ō. Those last guys are the worst.

This will be their first company project, and they have a big thumbs up from Zachary Krochtengel of Sycamore Development.

“We have a huge appreciation for Line Design’s commitment to preserving the history and character of our West End buildings while bringing modern innovation to this project,” Krochtengel says.