Luna's Tortilla Factory Lives!

The Luna Tortilla Factory, built in 1938 and due for a redo courtesy Brandt Wood and El Fenix's Mike Karns

​When last we looked in on the old Luna's Tortilla Factory, it was joining the old Dallas High School, the Statler Hilton, Deep Ellum and other local historic landmarks on Preservation Dallas's most-endangered list. But it appears to be imperiled no more: Today at 3, the Landmark Commission's Central Business District/West End task force will meet at Dallas City Hall, and we find on the agenda "conceptual" plans to give one of the sole remaining buildings in original Little Mexico a makeover.

And Unfair Park knows who's responsible: Brandt Wood, working in collaboration with Mike Karns, whose Firebird Restaurant Group LLC purchased the El Fenix chain in June 2008.

Wood's reluctant to say much about the endeavor at the moment, save that it'll be a "bar-restaurant concept." Aside from that, says Wood, he and Karns are still in the way-early phases of development.

"We will maintain the historic integrity of the building, shine a light on the historic neighborhood and draw upon our past experiences working in historic neighborhoods," Wood tells Unfair Park today. Today's meeting will provide the Landmark Commission a sneak peek at those preliminary plans: "It's important to have those folks on board early and to work in concert with them." says Wood. "More to come."