OHT Starts Ambassador Apartments on Site of Cedars Hotel Fire

The historic Ambassador Hotel in Dallas’ Cedars neighborhood is gone, but its name will live on through a multimillion-dollar redevelopment with nearly 300 apartments.

OHT Partners, led by co-founders Steve Oden, Craig Hughes and Eric Taylor, has begun initial work to develop a three-building apartment community at 1300 South Ervay Street, the site where the iconic hotel stood for over 100 years before it was destroyed by fire five years ago, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

The apartment complex will retain the Ambassador name, and the Austin-based developer has teamed up with architecture firm Corgan to preserve some of the original design language from the Ambassador Hotel, which first opened in 1904.

The 322,700-square-foot project will consist of three buildings: one standing five stories and two rising seven stories, all linked by a third-floor amenity deck. The deck will offer a lounge, pool and fitness center with views of downtown Dallas. Delivery is expected in the second half of 2026.

A two-level underground parking garage is under construction, and the buildings will sit on top of a podium, with units ranging from 500-square-foot studios to 1,500-square-foot two-bedroom residences.

Additional amenities planned include coworking spaces, a small market, a dog park, grooming stations and package lockers for tenants. Rental rates for the units will be announced closer to the project’s completion.

The site’s historical significance will be blended into its modern design, said Corgan’s Stephen Lohr, who leads the firm’s multifamily studio.

The original Ambassador Hotel, known for its red brick exterior, and after a 1930a renovation, Spanish Revival stucco, sat empty for years and was challenging to redevelop because of its wood construction that didn’t hold up to modern fire safety standards.

“I hope it can be kind of a benchmark for that area of the Cedars and inspire others to continue development and continue residential development in that area,” Lohr said. “I think everyone would agree that Dallas needs more housing, so hopefully this can be a catalyst for that.”

— Andrew Terrell