Historic Cabana Hotel to be transformed into affordable apartments

Dallas, Texas - Last week, a local developer named Zachary Krochtengel shared some exciting news. He's planning to buy the old Cabana Hotel and turn it into budget-friendly apartments, according to Dallas Metro News.

Krochtengel, part of a company called Sycamore Strategies, recently made headlines with his plan to create a housing project called Cypress Creek at Forest Lane in Lake Highlands. However, the Dallas City Council didn't approve his project because of certain rules tied to the land. But Krochtengel didn't give up, he changed his plans and worked with the city to present his project again, which will be voted on in June.

The project to renovate the Cabana Hotel might not face as much opposition as the Cypress Creek project. This hotel, a 10-story building on Stemmons Freeway, has been empty for years.

Krochtengel talked about his plans for the hotel. He said, "We are excited about the opportunity to revitalize such an important part of Dallas' architectural history while providing much needed mixed income housing in the Design District.” He thinks the special design features of the Cabana Hotel will make the apartments unique with great views of the city.

He plans to use Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to help pay for the project. He also showed a plan to the Urban Design Peer Review Panel that includes removing the old parking garage, adding new buildings, and improving the pedestrian connection at the back of the property on Slocum Street.

The Cabana Hotel has an interesting history. It was built in 1962 by Jay Sarno, who also built Caesar’s Palace, and it has hosted famous parties with The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. It later turned into a jail and was bought in 2017 by Mehrdad Moayedi’s Centurion American Development Group for $8.1 million.

Krochtengel's company is in the process of buying the property, but they haven't said how much it will cost.