DALLAS — Music by Frank Sinatra ushered in a sight we haven't seen in years Tuesday night — the Statler HIlton lighting up the Dallas skyline.
The hotel, at 1914 Commerce Street, closed more than a decade ago, but a developer bought it last year and is now restoring the 20-story building that opened in 1956. It was bathed in rich blue light on Tuesday evening.
It's the first, and most obvious improvement for the iconic hotel, which was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "America's 11 most endangered historic places" in 2008.
The Trust says it was the first glass-and-metal hotel in the U.S. "Its innovative features made it a significant contributor to the Modern movement in Dallas and the State of Texas."
The Ricchi Development Group says it plans to bring "the 'Grand Dame' of downtown Dallas back to its deserve prestige and original grandeur," with the help of financial incentives.
