This episode was the most unique by far! Recording in the front of a downtown Dallas building was truly a delight!
Thank you Tanya for coming on the show. We hope you enjoy her tips about business and navigating adulthood especially as someone in a new city!
RECENT PRESS: https://www.dmagazine.com/commercial-real-estate/2018/04/wildcat-managements-15-million-renovation-of-the-west-ends-purse-building/
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/07/15/how-tanya-ragan-navigates-downtown-dallas-boys-club-of-real-estate-developers/
TANYA ON LINKED IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyaragan
MORE ON TANYA :
● Tanya Ragan is a commercial real estate investor and serves as president of Wildcat Management
● After college, she worked as a financial analyst in the Midwest, in retail consulting in New York City and in the oil and gas leasing business
● Tanya is from Minnesota bur relocated to Dallas in 2005 and has lived in Downtown for 13 years
● She owns several properties in the Farmers Market district, including the historic Liberty State Bank building, which she helped she helped relocate there in 2014
● Taking inspiration from author and activist who influenced urban studies, Jane Jacobs, and bringing a similar approach to her projects, Tanya is undertaking the commercial real estate’s “boys club” mentality and changing it to include more businesswomen
● One of Tanya Ragan’s current projects include the redevelopment of the historic Purse Building. She will transform the 113-year old building into a modern hub for innovation, technology, and creative professionals. The six-story, 70,000-square-foot building will include retail space on the first floor below five stories of office space
● The Purse Building features exposed brick, with a focus on urbanism, walkability and young innovative workforce moving back to the urban core
● The plan calls for complete restoration of the exterior and adaptation of the building’s interior, to maintain the historical integrity of the Chicago Italianate style building
● With the final phase of the project ramping up, the showroom has opened and they are actively pre-leasing with anticipated Summer 2020 opening
● The first floor is finished- including, preserving the original 114 year old floors and exposed ceilings. They have added a huge mural of Jane Jacobs imposed on a wall with a custom neon sign “new ideas need old buildings” in bright lights. The sign is visible from busy Elm Street and has activated that street corner and pumped life into the Dallas West End