A Dallas Developer's Vision for a Downtown Tech and Education Hub

A bustling downtown Dallas filled with state-of-the-art apartments, trendy shops, and a top-notch school. That's the dream of Mike Hoque, a local developer who's just bought a troubled city-owned property. This plot at 711 S. Saint Paul St. has been a headache for years, with vandalism and squatting making it a no-go zone. But Hoque sees potential, not problems. He plans to knock down the old building and build 350 new apartments, starting with 240 units in the first phase. This is just the beginning of his grand plan to transform this area into the Newpark District, a tech and education hotspot. The city has already given the green light for this massive project, with up to $96. 1 million in economic support. Hoque is confident that Dallas ISD will build a new school for 2, 000 students, and he's hoping to convince Dallas College to join the party too. It's a big vision, and it's all set to kick off in the third quarter of 2025.But this isn't the only big plan Hoque has for downtown. He's also teaming up with Mike Ablon to buy the iconic 72-story Bank of America Plaza. They're planning to pour $350 million into revamping the block, including a fancy new hotel taking up several floors. It's a lot of change, but Hoque is excited to turn his vision into reality.