White outlines mark the 38-acre site of the former Sears Roebuck distribution center at 1600 Roe St. in Dallas, recently acquired by Matthews for redevelopment.[Image: Matthews]
Decades after redeveloping Dallas’ historic Sears Catalog Center into South Side on Lamar, Jack Matthews is turning his attention to another old Sears property. His global real estate development company, Matthews, has acquired the former Sears Roebuck distribution center near downtown Dallas in what is being called one of the city’s most significant redevelopment opportunities.
The center, at 1600 Roe St., is a 1,982,900-square-foot industrial complex that sits on 38.55 acres just south of downtown.
“This acquisition reflects Matthews’ nearly 30-year commitment to the Cedars area,” said David Davidson Jr., partner at Davidson Bogel Real Estate (DB2RE), who, along with colleague Jake Milner, brokered the transaction. “Jack Matthews was one of the early pioneers who recognized this neighborhood’s potential, and this property represents the next chapter in that vision.”
The property once was a hub for Sears’ national retail operations and later became the Cedars Commerce Center. Most recently, it was occupied by LBA Logistics.
From Sears merchandise to celebrated mixed-use
In 1997, Matthews and his firm—known at the time as Matthews Southwest (it rebranded to Matthews last year to mark its 30th anniversary)—purchased the historic Sears Roebuck Catalog Merchandise Center, built in 1913 as the first Sears warehouse outside Chicago. Sears closed the regional office in 1993 and vacated the buildings.
He turned the site into a mixed-use residential and retail complex that opened in 2000, now known as South Side on Lamar, converting the historic Sears catalog warehouse into one of Dallas’ most celebrated destinations.
That development became an inflection point for redevelopment in the Dallas Cedars neighborhood. South Side on Lamar won a Historic Rehabilitation Award from Preservation Texas in 2002.
Matthews, the founder and president of the Dallas-based real estate firm, said the company’s earlier investments helped transform the Cedars into a thriving destination, pointing to a series of major projects that followed South Side on Lamar. Those include:
• Entertainment venues: Gilley’s Dallas (92,000 square feet), which includes the 28,000-square-foot South Side Ballroom, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (30,000 square feet, seven screens).
• Residential developments: More than 900 units across multiple projects, including South Side on Lamar (457 units), South Side Flats (290), Belleview (164), Southside Place (41 single-family homes by David Weekley), and The Beat Lofts (75).
• CANVAS Hotel: 76 keys.
• Dallas Police Department Headquarters: 360,000 square feet.
• Dallas College Administrative Office: 80,000 square feet.
Aiming to double commercial activity
“What makes this acquisition unique is Matthews’ approach,” Milner said. “They’re not coming in with a predetermined master plan. They want to hear from the community and the market first—institutional investors, major tenants, retailers, hospitality operators, civic leaders, and neighbors.”
Founder Matthews emphasized that collaborative approach.
“Through almost 30 years of investment, we’ve created a destination that draws nearly 1.8 million visitors annually to the Cedars,” he said. “We believe that with the right plan, this can be a flagship property that will more than double commercial activity in the area—a fully mixed-use property that all of Dallas can enjoy.”
His company, Matthews, now operates across three regions—North America, Europe, and the Middle East—with five specialized divisions: Matthews Hospitality, Matthews West, Matthews Energy, Matthews Switzerland, and Inspire Dallas.
Davidson Bogel Real Estate (DB2RE) is a Dallas-based commercial real estate firm specializing in land, investment sales, and development services. The company provides advisory, brokerage, and strategic guidance to developers, investors, and landowners across Texas and the southern United States.
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