For months, neighbors have wondered what would happen to the Junius Heights trolley car inside the closed Spaghetti Warehouse. The fate of the neighborhood artifact remains uncertain, but we know that the building where it resides has a new owner.
Deed records obtained by the Dallas Morning News show that the two-story building built in 1891 was bought by an affiliate of Dallas-based West End Capital. The company also owns three other buildings on the adjoining block.
Vereit, an Arizona-based retail property investor, sold the building. The terms of the sale were not disclosed, according to the Morning News.
The building had operated as a Spaghetti Warehouse since 1972. After its closure last year, members of the Junius Heights Historic District tried to find a new home for the trolley. There was talk of moving it to the Lakewood Shopping Center or a neighborhood pocket park, but those plans never materialized, said Rene Schmidt, president of the Junius Heights Historic District.
In late October, the trolley sold at an auction of Spaghetti Warehouse items for $3,125 to Bidder #23941. Under the terms of the auction, the bidder was responsible for removing the trolley from the restaurant. That required the partial removal and rebuilding of a brick wall, making the final price much higher. After assessing the cost, the winning bidder, who was not identified, decided to forego the streetcar’s removal.
DBL Brands, which owns the Spaghetti Warehouse chain, decided to leave the streetcar in the building, project manager Hwan Pak said. The trolley then became the responsibility of the property owner, Vereit.
West End Capital has not responded to a request for comment, and it is unclear what the company plans to do with the trolley car.
The former West End Marketplace building across from the Spaghetti Warehouse has been converted into office space, and the block on the south side of the Spaghetti Warehouse is being turned into a park, the Morning News reported.
