The Bow

The news that developer Jack Matthews is making a bid for Museum Tower is sparking some excitement. And with good reason; Matthews could be just the guy to resolve that pesky glare issue and turn the project around.

North Texans know Matthews as the developer behind SouthSide on Lamar and the Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel. But in his native Canada, Matthews has built a number of skyscrapers, including a new 1.9 million-square-foot stunner called “The Bow.” It serves as the headquarters for Calgary-based Encana, and, at 58 stories, is the tallest building in Canada outside of Toronto.

The low-key Matthews has a reputation for crafting projects so everyone is happy with the results: investors, tenants, and communities. Sparking an interest in southern downtown Dallas, for example, was a key driver behind SouthSide on Lamar, he once told D CEO: “If we’re not making money, I can’t keep getting investors to back us. But I definitely don’t want to go through the world and have it only be about making money.”

Among his biggest fans is business partner Donnie Nelson, president of the Dallas Mavericks: “I’ve been in business with some of the big boys, the biggest real estate names in Dallas; Jack was my dark horse. But it’s the dark horse who’s lapping everyone else. In terms of business, he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Read the full D CEO profile of Matthews here.