Mercantile Continental Building
| Company type | Building |
|---|---|
| Industry | Real estate, office, residential |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Headquarters | Dallas , United States |
| Products | Office space, residential apartments, retail space |
The Mercantile Continental Building, located at 1810 Commerce Street in downtown Dallas, Texas, stands prominently on the perimeter of the Government District, neighboring Main Street Garden Park. Initially constructed and owned by Mercantile National Bank, it was linked to their main complex through an underground pedestrian passage.
History
The building, originally named the Mercantile Commerce Building, opened its doors in late 1948. The total investment for the structure and its accompanying garage was $1.65 million. Designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager, it introduced Dallas’s first four-level subterranean parking facility, accommodating 1,250 vehicles with multiple street access points. Above the garage were three stories of climate-controlled office and retail spaces.
A decade later, in 1958, Mercantile National Bank undertook an expansion adding an eight-story extension encompassing 201,297 square feet. This addition, designed by Broad & Nelson, connected to the Mercantile complex via an underground walkway that eventually became incorporated into the Dallas Pedestrian Network. At this time, the building was renamed the "Mercantile Continental Building." Concurrently, an adjacent property—previously known as Vaughn Tower—was acquired and rebranded as the "Mercantile Commerce Building."
Primarily serving as office space for Mercantile National Bank and various other tenants, the building notably housed the FBI on its second floor from 1964 through 1980. Following Mercantile National Bank’s move to Momentum Place in 1987, the offices were vacated; however, the parking garage continued operations until it was closed during renovation activities on the Mercantile Building in 2007, which resulted in the disconnection of the underground passage.
Redevelopment
In June 2005, Forest City Enterprises collaborated with the City of Dallas to transform the Mercantile National Bank Building into upscale residential apartments that launched in 2009. Forest City was awarded $5 million from municipal funds to convert the Continental Building into 150 living units; nonetheless, it remained unoccupied after the economic downturn of 2008. By October 2009, a new agreement with Forest City secured $17.5 million in tax increment financing, enabling development of 180 apartments along with retail space that opened in early 2013. Due to federal housing financing requirements, one-fifth of these residences were allocated for low-income occupancy.
Artwork
During the 1959 expansion phase, R.L. Thornton—then serving as president of Mercantile National Bank and later mayor of Dallas—commissioned a -tall mosaic artwork by California artist Millard Sheets. This piece depicts scenes including a cowboy, Native Americans, horses, and wildlife using carved stone, Italian glass mosaic tiles, and accents of 22-karat gold. Sheets also produced several additional mosaics for this building.
Concerns arose regarding the preservation of this significant artwork amid redevelopment plans; however, Forest City affirmed in 2009 their commitment to maintaining the mural intact.