Tax Credit Program Highlight: Mayflower Building

Dallas, Dallas County

1965

Designation	Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Historic Use	Offices
Current Use	Apartments and offices
Total Rehabilitation Cost	$56,231,137
Qualified Rehabilitation Expenses	$45,470,668
Date Certified	April 19, 2017
	Also seeking Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits

History

Major developments in electronic systems in the 1960s brought a number of major changes in the way that business was done, especially in fields like the insurance industry that required high-volume data processing. These changes also had an effect on office spaces, as early electronic systems required large, climate-controlled open office footprints where dozens, or even hundreds, of workers could sit and input data on punch cards while large electronic machines whirred nearby. The ultra-modern Mayflower Building was built to satisfy the high demand for office space for insurance and financial companies in Dallas, featuring 40,000-square-foot floor plates and a raised floor under which wires and cables could easily run.

Rehabilitation Project

While the massive floor plates of the Mayflower Building were a boon to mid-century businesses, they proved challenging for creating a new use. In order to create workable apartment layouts in the upper floors, a long, narrow interior atrium was cut into the building to bring light into the center. Most interior spaces had been previously altered for a series of business tenants, so any remaining historic features were retained, while elsewhere the focus was on keeping the general character of the building. New finishes on the apartment floors were kept simple and sleek to reflect the original mid-century style. Considering the size of the building, one full lower floor and half of another were permitted to be converted into parking, provided that the space retained a finished appearance and the cars were invisible from the exterior. At the top of the building where the ninth floor has an accessible outdoor area, tenant patios and a swimming pool and deck were added while being careful to keep them invisible from the street.