Café Madrid, the low-slung tapas bar that has quietly held down the Knox-Henderson strip for decades, is not going anywhere, no matter how many cranes pop up around it. Owner Donica Jimenez says she has no intention of selling to developers, even as a multi-acre makeover rises all around her. The small white building now sits surrounded by steel and glass, overshadowed by a massive redevelopment that will bring towers, hotel rooms and new retail to the neighborhood.
Developers have tried to change her mind. As WFAA reported, they have repeatedly approached Jimenez about buying the parcel and have literally knocked on her door with offers. Jimenez told reporters she bought the building years ago so she would not be priced out, and that so far “no one has made an offer I can’t refuse.” Owning the storefront, she said, is what allows her to weather rising rents.
The larger redevelopment is a joint venture that includes Dallas-based Trammell Crow Company and other partners and is expected to deliver roughly one million square feet of mixed-use space that will combine residences, offices, retail and a hotel backing up to the Katy Trail, according to The Dallas Morning News. Plans call for a 27-story apartment tower and new public green space that connects directly to the trail. Developers say portions of the project will open in phases…