Union Fashion Center Lofts

Interior loft apartment with high ceilings and large windows.

Modern kitchen within a renovated loft space.

View of the commercial space on the ground floor of the lofts.

Union Fashion Center Lofts modernized the former Popular Dry Goods store, converting its five-story annex into high-end lofts. The renovation included a new men and women clothing store, restaurant, and a 50 underground parking space. The annex featured three stories of residential apartments above two stories of commercial spaces. The project included historic tax credits and empowerment zone grant funding.

Project Facts

Location: 508 S. Virgina St, El Paso, TX 79901
Completed: March 2003
Cost: $1.2 M
Sq. Ft.: 31,000 sq. ft.
Category: Historic
Client: Downtown Lofts, LP
Architect of Record: Frederic Dalbin

About Union Fashion

Union Fashion was an historic El Paso retailer with roots dating to 1892, known for upscale menswear. It merged two downtown stores in 1950 and became a destination for prominent figures like Presidents and Pancho Villa.

About Popular Dry Goods

Popular Dry Goods most commonly refers to the historic El Paso department store, founded in 1902 by Adolph Schwartz, which was a major economic and cultural force in the Borderland until its closure in 1995.