South side of downtown Dallas: Ramada Plaza redo

DALLAS – Interior demolition has begun inside the former Ramada Plaza hotel just south of downtown. The Akard Street hotel — which has been empty for years — will have about 220 rooms when it opens next summer.

Developer Hamilton Properties is renovating the vacant, 12-story hotel tower which has a front row view on the downtown skyline and is at the entry to Dallas’ Cedars neighborhood, which is seeing widespread development.

In January the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said it would back an $11 million loan to pay for part of the deal.

The renovation will include a top floor restaurant to take advantage of the downtown view.

The former Ramada tower is just blocks from the historic Ambassador Hotel, which just sold to developers who also plan to remodel the landmark.