The historic buildings of Deep Ellum function as a sort of architectural chameleon, where the shell remains the same, but the purpose it serves can change across decades. One of Deep Ellum’s oldest and most historic buildings certainly falls within that category but only needs one name, the Continental Gin Building.
This Business of the Week was originally constructed in 1888 with the purpose of constructing Robert Munger’s cotton gin designs that would be loaded on trains and shipped across the nation. This business became a bit of a titan of industry, leading to the growth of jobs, railroads, and light industrial manufacturing in Deep Ellum. It became the largest manufacturing operation for cotton processing equipment. Nearly 100 years later, the massive warehouse complex was converted into loft apartments as well as artist studios that hosted emerging Dallas artists and creatives.
Today, the Continental Gin Building still serves creatives and entrepreneurs as it has in the past, but in a thoroughly modern way. After undergoing extensive repairs to bring the dilapidated building back to its former glory, the CGB was opened as a home for innovative food & beverage, spacious coworking areas for freelancers and small businesses, as well as turn-key office suites for larger teams to call their home base. Boasting a top-of-the-line espresso bar from Fiction Coffee, a highly anticipated sushi restaurant from Tatsuya Sekiguchi, a VR-lab, and 2 acres of greenspace, the CGB is the hub of east Deep Ellum.
Though owners and occupants may have changed over the decades, the Continental Gin Building will always serve as a beacon of Deep Ellum’s history, creativity, and growth.
Website: cgbdallas.com
Instagram: @cgbdallas
