Factory Six03

One of the most recognizable forms on the Dallas skyline, the three 20-foot-tall rooftop water tanks of 603 Munger have anchored the West End for over 100 years. Originally constructed in three phases from 1903 to 1922, the complex was built for the Brown Cracker and Candy Company, which was the largest cracker factory in the country at the time, employing 1,000 workers. Granite Properties recognized the potential of this landmark structure to attract new creative-class office tenants and restaurants and purchased the complex in late 2015.

Re-opened as Factory Six03, the building occupies a uniquely shaped site defined by the paths of former rail spurs in the warehouse district and the collision of the two original City of Dallas survey grids. The resulting outdoor urban space is one of a very few of its kind and scale in the West End.

The building exhibited many scars from past uses, including a large atrium cut through the heavy-timber section and large sections of structural slabs and support columns removed to create theaters for a multiplex. The project required extensive reconstruction of missing sections of floor and supporting structure, reconstruction of the atrium to comply with current codes, and reversal and correction of unsympathetic interior modifications. Extensive exterior repairs included removing, repairing, re-glazing, and reinstalling all windows, cleaning and repointing brick masonry, and rehabilitating the historic rooftop water tanks, loading dock, and canopies.

Modern additions include new plaza landscaping and primary building entry, a new skylight at the atrium, and new lease space and amenity areas created on the roofs of both the 4- and 7-story buildings. As a designated City of Dallas Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the rehabilitation utilized City of Dallas TIF funding as well as State of Texas and federal Preservation Tax Credits.

GFF teamed with ArchiTexas for the rehabilitation of 603 Munger. The 215,000 square foot project has been branded by Granite as Factory Six03 and began occupancy in 2017, revitalizing the historic structure and transforming it into a hub for modern office tenants and vibrant urban activities.