Neiman Marcus Building

File:Texas historical marker for Neiman Marcus.jpg

The building was designed for Neiman Marcus to replace its previous store on Elm Street which burned in 1913. Designed to be fireproof and accommodate additional floors as needed, the red brick and white stone building opened in 1914 with four floors at the corner of Main and Ervay. In 1926, the company leased adjacent land and an identical four-story addition extended the store facing Ervay to Commerce Street that it completed in 1927.{{cite news| work=The Dallas Morning News| publisher=newsbank.com| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives/?p_product=DMEC&p_theme=histpaper&p_nbid=&p_action=doc&p_docid=105430A18D54F844&s_lastnonissuequeryname=2&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=2&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:0F99DDB671832188@DMEC-1054309F5B3A7B4C@2424521-1054309FC2016A2E@12-105430A18D54F844@Ervay+and+Commerce+Corner+Leased+by+Neiman-Marcus+for+Enlargement| title=Ervay and Commerce Corner Leased by Neimain Marcus for Enlargement| date=5 January 1926| access-date=2013-02-08}}{{ subscription required}} This addition, designed by architect George Dahl, doubled the retail space, replaced the exterior brick veneer with white terra cotta, and enlarged the store's entrances. The design of the building was based on Renaissance Revival architecture, and the interior featured an impressive double staircase.{{cite news| work=The Dallas Morning News| publisher=newsbank.com| title=Greater Neimain-Marcus Store Will Be Opened Monday| date=2 October 1927| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives/?p_product=DMEC&p_theme=histpaper&p_nbid=&p_action=doc&p_docid=105420D453F34A06&s_lastnonissuequeryname=3&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=3&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:0F99DDB671832188@DMEC-105420BED301B4E6@2425156-105420C3395290B5@109-105420D453F34A06@Greater+Neiman-Marcus+Store+Will+be+Opened+Monday| access-date=2013-02-08|url-access=subscription }} In 1931, the building was air-conditioned in an elaborate stunt from New York offices via a Western Union link.{{cite news| work=The Dallas Morning News| title=Store Installs Cooling Plant| date=2 September 1931| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives/?p_product=DMEC&p_theme=histpaper&p_nbid=&p_action=doc&p_docid=104D21868761B446&s_lastnonissuequeryname=4&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=4&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:0F99DDB671832188@DMEC-104D218443265724@2426587-104D21846579B4CF@3-104D21868761B446@Store+Installs+Cooling+Plant| publisher=newsbank.com| access-date=2013-02-08}}

The building continued to expand with growth, and in 1941 every floor of the building was remodeled. Over the years, the store acquired adjacent land to the west along Commerce Street and Main Street. Beginning in 1951 and ending in 1953 two additional floors were added to the original building in a similar but less detailed manner, bringing the store to six floors. New six-story structures, modern in style, were built adjacent to the store along Commerce Street and Main Street. These additions again doubled the size of the store, although the new buildings did not match the original store's design.{{cite news| work=The Dallas Morning News| title=Neiman-Marcus Sets Start on $4,000,000 Expansion| date=1 January 1951| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives/?p_product=DMEC&p_theme=histpaper&p_nbid=&p_action=doc&p_docid=102155C1AEDFD112&s_lastnonissuequeryname=5&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=5&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:0F99DDB671832188@DMEC-102155C0A213F7B6@2433648-102155C0D0C7E708@5-102155C1AEDFD112@Neiman-Marcus+Sets+Start+on+%244%2C000%2C000+Expansion| publisher=newsbank.com| access-date=2013-02-08}} The additions provided greater room for employee services, a penthouse restaurant and expanded departments. During the late 1950s, a seventh floor was added in a similar style to the previous fifth and sixth floor additions.

On December 19, 1964, the building burned in the costliest blaze in the city's history, destroying $5–10 million in merchandise, art objects and antique furniture.{{cite news| work=The Dallas Morning News| title=Neiman-Marcus Fire Losses Put at $5,000,000, Record for Dallas| date=20 December 1964| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives/?p_product=DMEC&p_theme=histpaper&p_nbid=&p_action=doc&p_docid=0FF3D0081FF318F7&s_lastnonissuequeryname=6&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=6&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:0F99DDB671832188@DMEC-0FF3D006588D264D@2438750-0FF3D00661017A7A@0-0FF3D0081FF318F7@Neiman-Marcus+Fire+Losses+Put+at+%245%2C000%2C000%2C+Record+for+Dallas| publisher=newsbank.com| access-date=2013-02-08}} Remarkably, the building was not destroyed, and it reopened just 27 days later.

The last major expansion added two floors to the top of the entire complex in 1983, giving the structure a height of nine stories.{{cite web| title=Neiman Marcus Department Store| url=http://www.dallasarchitecture.info/n-m.htm| publisher=dallasarchitecture.info| access-date=2013-02-08}} These additional floors provided more room for the growing department store chain's corporate offices.

During the late 1980s, Neiman Marcus considered leaving the building for a new downtown shopping center, but with revitalization of the Main Street District the store remained in its original location. Today, the flagship store serves as an important anchor in the Dallas retail scene as a reminder of the city's retailing history.

In 2022, Neiman Marcus moved its corporate offices from the building to the Cityplace Tower.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-27 |title=Neiman Marcus is moving its Dallas corporate office to Cityplace |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2022/07/27/neiman-marcus-is-moving-its-dallas-corporate-office-to-cityplace/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Dallas News |language=en}} After the chain's 2024 sale to Saks Global, the corporate offices there were closed completely.{{Cite web |last=Danziger |first=Pamela N. |title=Saks Closes Neiman Marcus Headquarters And Tells Vendors Payments Will Be Late |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2025/02/18/saks-to-close-neiman-marcus-dallas-headquarters-and-tells-vendors-to-wait-for-payments/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Forbes |language=en}} In February 2025, Saks Global announced that the flagship store itself would close on March 31, 2025.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-06 |title=Neiman Marcus makes final decision to close Downtown Dallas flagship store on March 31 - CBS Texas |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/neiman-marcus-final-decision-close-dallas-flagship-store/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}} However, a last-minute deal, reached three days prior to the planned closing, allowed it to stay open through the end of the year.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-28 |title=Downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus store will stay open through holidays, then reimagined |url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/downtown-dallas-neiman-marcus-store-open-through-holiday-reimagined/3803124/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth |language=en-US}}

• The Zodiac is the signature lunch restaurant which has been in operation for over 70 years. Located on the sixth floor, it is known as the place to mingle with the who's-who of downtown.{{cite web| title=Dallas Downtown-The Zodiac| url=https://stores.neimanmarcus.com/restaurants/Dallas/TX/1001-R-1/The%20Zodiac%20Room?storeId=01%2FDT| publisher=Neiman Marcus| access-date=2025-03-15}}
• The flagship store is the centerpiece of Neiman Marcus holiday celebrations. Each year the building's exterior is covered in thousands of lights, a special Christmas Tree is commissioned and holiday windows are revealed to eager crowds.

Image:Neimanmarcusinterior01.jpg

Image:Neiman Marcus Flagship Interior.jpg

Image:Dallas Neiman Marcus 3.jpg

Image:Dallas Neiman Marcus 2.jpg

{{Portal|National Register of Historic Places|Texas}}

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Texas

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{{Commons category|Neiman Marcus flagship store, Dallas|Neiman Marcus Building}}

• [http://www.neimanmarcus.com/ Neiman Marcus]
• [http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/info/store.jhtml?storeId=01/DT Neiman Marcus Flagship Store]
• [http://www.dallasarchitecture.info/n-m.htm Neiman Marcus Building]
• [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=118113&p=irol-storelocations The size of Neiman-Marcus stores, including the original store]

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{{Downtown Dallas}}

{{NRHP in Texas}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Dallas

Category:Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks

Category:Department store buildings in the United States

Category:Historic district contributing properties in Texas

Category:Retail buildings in Texas

Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1914

Category:1914 establishments in Texas