Common Desk Founders Plan Office-to-Country Club Conversion

East Dallas coworking entrepreneurs Nick Clark and Dawson Williams are turning their attention to a new venture — developing a country club in Lake Highlands.

Best known for their venture Common Desk, they recently placed a 3.65-acre former medical office property at 10405 East Northwest Highway under contract, the Dallas Morning News reported. They plan to convert it into a family-focused club with a pool.

Clark and Williams sold Common Desk to WeWork in 2022 for an undisclosed sum.

“Coworking was such a dynamic, community-driven concept that it had the power to really change office space, and we view these clubs the same way,” Williams said.

They plan to reuse the 42,000-square-foot building, constructed in 1966, rather than tearing it down. It is owned by an LLC with an address in Santa Monica, California, according to appraisal district records. It is valued for tax assessment at $2.4 million, or $15 per square foot.

The proposed conversion has received “investment interest from locals,” the outlet reported, although the buyers declined to elaborate.

“We think if we’re curating a substantial amount of our investment from the neighborhoods that are going to be members, then we’re able to maintain that intimacy,” Williams said.

Dallas-based developer The Javelin Group earlier this year requested a zoning change for the property, described as “scary,” with plans to build 30 or 40 homes, CandysDirt.com reported.

Clark and Williams are planning a 6,000-square-foot pool, a gym with yoga and pilates studios, spa features like a sauna and cold plunge, plus two restaurants — one for adults only with a rooftop patio, and one on the ground floor for families. It would also have 18,000 square feet for indoor children’s play areas.

They are targeting a membership fee of $399 to $450 per month, with an initiation fee between $7,500 and $10,000. They believe this pricing offers a more affordable alternative to other country clubs in the area.

If they can get a required zoning change for the project, they want to start construction in February and open by late 2026.

— Andrew Terrell

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the square footage and acreage of the property. It is a 42,000-square-foot building on 3.65 acres.