Dallas has initiated legal proceedings to acquire a 36,000-square-foot parcel of land owned by Charter DMN Holdings, a company controlled by developer Ray Washburne. The city filed a condemnation lawsuit after negotiations failed regarding the site near Young and Houston streets, adjacent to the former Dallas Morning News headquarters at 508 Young Street.
Earlier this summer, Dallas purchased the main newspaper property from Washburne for $45.1 million. The contested lot is currently used as a parking area between the old newspaper garage and WFAA’s studio. The city council had previously authorized up to $6.5 million for its purchase and cleared the way for eminent domain if an agreement could not be reached.
Washburne commented on the situation, stating: “I’m willing to sell but noted that a long-term ground lease with broadcaster WFAA complicates matters.”
The land is needed for Dallas’ planned $3 billion convention center redevelopment project, which aims to open in 2029. The project requires additional space due to planned widening of Interstate 30 by the Texas Department of Transportation, rail line upgrades, and design adjustments intended to avoid construction over active tracks.
City officials identified the former Dallas Morning News property as critical for fitting the convention center into downtown’s limited available space. While Dallas regularly uses eminent domain for smaller parcels—often without public attention—it is less common in high-profile real estate disputes such as this one.
Washburne originally bought the campus in 2019 for $28 million but kept control of some frontage after selling most of it to the city earlier this year. He had also considered selling part of his holdings to a data firm amid frustrations with delays in city planning before ultimately agreeing to sell the main tract.
The city assumed control of that property in June.
