A complex in the Dallas Design District is on the brink of a makeover: Called The Seam, it’s a multimillion-dollar project that will transform the former Oak Lawn Design Plaza at 1444 Oak Lawn Ave. into an upscale shopping and dining destination.

Oak Lawn Design Plaza is a seven-building site that was constructed in the 1970s and was the low-key, modest home to various little design-centric businesses like Mizzen & Main.

It was acquired by North Carolina-based real estate investment firm Asana Partners in 2023, who are redeveloping it into a 160,000-square-foot retail center with restaurants, wellness, and shops in an open-air environment. Asana is the company that has wrought gentrification upon Deep Ellum.

At the new-and-improved Seam, there could be up to six restaurants, gyms, coffee shop and more than 30 stores. They’ve already signed a deal with Lettuce Entertain You, the Chicago-based hospitality group whose portfolio of 90 restaurants includes concepts such as Big Bowl, Gus’ Sip & Dip, Big City Chicken, and Frankie’s By the Slice.

Let’s hope they can surpass previous dining spots on the site such as the modest Tom’s Diner or the quirky Spanish Oaks Restaurant and Lounge.

Adolfson & Peterson Construction, a national, family-owned construction management and contracting company, is doing the renovation. They began construction in March 2025; completion is anticipated within 12 months. Morris Adjmi Architects (MA) is the Design Architect with GFF Design serving as the Architect of Record.

“Our planning and design approach was centered on enhancing connectivity throughout the site and within the neighborhood’s context,” says MA founder and principal Morris Adjmi in a release. “We reconfigured the plaza’s overall layout to open up the site and significantly improve the pedestrian experience.”

The site’s original layout was reconfigured, removing portions of the existing complex that obstructed visual and physical connections to Slocum Street.

Adolfson & Peterson Construction will handle all aspects of The Seam’s construction, including staging and phasing the work; improving the existing buildings by upgrading facades with new exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS) and metal panels; mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades; and structural improvements by adding new steel and roof work.

They’ll also add outdoor features such as lighting, modern hardscapes and softscapes, new curb lines, and sidewalk upgrades. The Seam will provide nearly 50 spaces for retail, restaurants, wellness providers, and showrooms.

Adolfson & Peterson Construction tackled a similar project with the renovation and interior demolition of Dallas’ Knox Park, located at 4441 McKinney Ave., in 2020.