A first-of-its-kind $250 million luxury tower slated for South Dallas is taking the first step toward becoming a reality.
On Thursday, Dallas’ Planning and Zoning Commission will vote on a rezoning initiative greenlighting Winners Tower, a 25-story high-rise at 1709 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Current plans for the project include a 150 to 160 room hotel, 60 condo units, ground floor retail and four floors of garage parking.
“Many years ago, the vision God gave us is to end homelessness in the U.S., starting from Dallas,” said Raphael Adebayo, pastor at Winners Assembly Christian Church, the property owner. “Now, our vision is to make sure we create financial empowerment by changing the neighborhood — and never have to beg others for money.”
D-FW Real Estate News
Adebayo’s plan began in 2007, purchasing the entirety of the retail strip center housing his congregation piecemeal over seven years.
A rendered photo of the projected Winners Tower on MLK Blvd. Remained inside The Winners Assembly Christian Church, on Thursday, July 3, 2025 in Dallas. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)
At the time Adebayo said he purchased the property, most of it was being sold at foreclosure.
“One of the pieces we bought for $600 — that’s how bad it was,” Adebayo said.
With 21 years in South Dallas under his belt, Adebayo said Winners Tower is the first step toward creating wealth in an otherwise disenfranchised community.
“To change an area, you have to invest in the area,” Adebayo said.
The project is expected to boast a price tag somewhere in the $250 million range.
Adebayo intends to serve as the project’s master developer, with former City of Dallas mayoral candidate Edward Okpa, principal of The OKPA Co., a real estate appraisal and consultancy firm, as lead consultant.
Adebayo and his team plan to use multiple developers to build the separate parts of the project.
Funding for the project will come partly through investment from EB-5 visa holders, who are required to invest a minimum $800,000 in the United States and create 10 jobs. Adebayo has already established the requisite regional center needed to manage the investment.
Funding for the hotel portion, which will occupy floors 8 through 15 of Winners Tower, will be paid for by the hotel’s operator.
The hotel component of the development is intended to accommodate visitors to southern Dallas, particularly those attending events at Fair Park, for which there are currently limited options.
Related:New USL soccer team could use Cotton Bowl, MoneyGram under proposed contract with Dallas
Similarly, a developer will be brought in for the condominium portion as well. Adebayo said the decision for condominiums over apartments is to ensure there are stakeholders invested in South Dallas’ redevelopment.
“Apartments have a problem of people coming and leaving,” he said.
A Black-owned bank, which Adebayo plans to charter, will be one of the tenants at the property.
Adebayo said he envisions the bank as the lending destination for local businesses looking to invest in southern Dallas, believing a Black-owned community bank will pay more attention to the area’s needs.
Traffic pass along Martin Luther King Jr Blvd by The Winners Plaza complex, on Thursday, July 3, 2025 in Dallas. Dallas Pastor Raphael Adebayo is after the zoning commission for permission to redevelop his church into a 25-story luxury tower with a 150-160 room hotel, 60 condos and ground floor retail.
(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)
Another significant portion of the project’s retail component is intended for a grocery store.
“We have a food desert in South Dallas — and, really, in downtown,” Adebayo said. “We’re in conversations with some major grocery stores.”
On the top floor, the tower will house the “MLK Club”, a members-only event venue that Adebayo says will host community-focused events.
A rezoning initiative is needed for the project to move forward, Adebayo said. If the project stokes too much community pushback, he will ask to postpone the item and incorporate that feedback into his designs.
A city memo appended to the zoning case notes the request complies with the ForwardDallas 2.0 comprehensive plan as a neighborhood mixed-use development. While the specific zoning designation Adebayo is requesting isn’t compatible with the surrounding area, the staff is proposing an alternative limiting the maximum height of the property to just five stories.