November 2017 News & Updates
|
|
It was a brisk Saturday, which lent perfectly to the Frank Welch In Dallas tour as guests joined our Presenting Sponsor, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, and Preservation Dallas for a decade by decade look at Frank Welch’s body of residential projects in Dallas. The timeline took us from the 1960s up to Welch’s contemporary projects which were completed before his passing in June. This once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the evolution of Welch’s style and tour his best designs in Dallas began at the Welch designed Cook Gymnasium at the Lamplighter School with an architectural discussion, moderated by Mark Lamster, Dallas Morning News Architecture Critic, which chronicled the development of Welch’s style in Dallas. The panel included architects Mark Gunderson and Scott Marek, long time colleagues of Welch’s, as well as John Hardy who constructed many of Welch’s Texas projects including three of this year's tour homes. An optional tour of the 1966 O’Neil Ford designed Lamplighter School added another layer of history to a perfect day. See the tour slideshow
here.
|
|
Nominations Now Being Accepted for the 2018 Preservation Achievement Awards
|
Do you know of an outstanding preservation project that deserves merit, or maybe one that you have done? If so then nominate it for the 2018 Preservation Achievement Awards to be presented in May.
Award nominations are being accepted for: Rehabilitation or Adaptive Use of a residential historic building; Rehabilitation or Adaptive Use of a commercial, institutional, or mixed-use building: Rehabilitation of a Historic Landscape, Park or other Historic Resource; and New Construction/Infill in a historic neighborhood which may include an addition directly attached to a building, or an entirely new building (infill) which enhances the historic nature of the original building, streetscape, or urban environment.
Nominations are due January 12 and a nomination form is
available here.
|
|
|
|
Fifteen North Texas Realtors attended our Advanced Historic House Specialist program in October. The total number of Historic House Specialists in North Texas is now just over 1,000. These Realtors® have added special knowledge of historic neighborhoods, Dallas architectural styles and architects, and historic designation criteria to their professional skills. Our next HHS seminar will be held in March 2018. Check our website for updates.
Congratulations to our new specialists!
|
|
|
|
Ann Piper wins Award from Junius Heights
|
Preservation Dallas Board Member Ann Piper was just recognized by the Junius Heights neighborhood with their 2017 Heritage Award. The award is given to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to preserving the history and legacy of Junius Heights. Congratulations Ann on a most well-deserved award!
|
|
Don't forget to select Preservation Dallas as your charity of choice on your
AmazonSmile
account to when you shop this holiday season! Every time you use
AmazonSmile
to shop, Amazon donates a small portion of your purchase to Preservation Dallas. Tens of millions of products are eligible. Try it today!
|
|
Forest Theater - At the Landmark Commission meeting last week the Commission re-initiated the Landmark designation process for the building as it had expired earlier this month. That will enable the theater to be protected for an additional two years while it works its way through the designation process. City Square has purchased the building and is planning to convert it to a multi-use arts facility and are currently interviewing architects for the project.
Mayor Sergeant House - The City Council last week voted to approve Jim Lake Companies' request for a sub-district and parking reduction in order to convert the 1910 house into restaurant use. The Oak Cliff home belonged to George Sergeant, a former mayor of Dallas during the 1930s. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in early 2018.
Aldredge House - The City Plan Commission last week postponed the vote on creating a new sub area for Planned Development District No. 63 and a Special Use Permit for the historic Aldredge House until November 30. This will allow the city to re-advertise the request and to allow the applicant and neighborhood additional time to continue to work on a compromise that both parties can agree to in regard to use of the house for meetings and events.
Confederate Monuments - The City Council decided to postpone the review of the Confederate Monuments Task Force recommendations until early 2018 to allow for staff to come up with cost estimates on the recommendations and plans on how to implement them.
Fair Park and Cultural Facilities - Dallas voters supported both propositions to fund repairs to buildings at Fair Park including the Hall of State, and cultural facilities across the city like the Kalita Humphreys Theater.
|
|
Director's Letter
David Preziosi
|
|
Last week was definitely a roller coaster for historic preservation with some great highs and some bad lows.
The bond vote last Tuesday produced some great news for Fair Park and historic cultural facilities in Dallas when bond packages were passed for each. Fair Park will be getting a desperately needed $50 million to help address deferred maintenance to the historic buildings out there, like the iconic Hall of State. The bond will be used to address badly needed items like leaking roofs, flooding basements, accessibility issues, and bringing electrical, plumbing, and HVAC up to date. City Cultural Facilities will get $14 million with some of that going to historic sites like the Kalita Humphreys Theater, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Heritage Village, Sammons Center and the Bath House Cultural Center. To view more information about the different bond packages click
here
.
The federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) did not fair very well last week unfortunately. It was completely cut from the House version of the tax reform bill along with numerous other tax credits. The HTC fared a little better with the Senate version where it was retained but the credit reduced to only 10% down from 20%. The reduction is still a major issue and will not be enough to make complicated projects attractive enough for developers to take on. The HTC has been part of the permanent tax code since the 1980s and was even supported by President Ronald Reagan.
This country would have lost a tremendous amount of its historic building stock if it weren’t for the HTC. It made projects financially possible that could not have been done without it. I took on my own tax credit project in Mississippi saving an abandoned and derelict 1904 two-story commercial building in the downtown. The HTC, and bringing my parents on as investors, was the only way to make the project work financially. Even though that was a small project by tax credit standards the same principle applies to much larger projects like The Statler which would not have been possible without the federal historic tax credits and the state tax credits as well.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has done a tremendous amount of work on keeping the HTC on the minds of legislators for years by including it in lobbying efforts every year. For over 15 years I have gone pretty much every year to D.C. to lobby with the National Trust folks during their lobby days promoting the benefit of the tax credits to historic buildings and communities. They have professional lobbyists who coordinate the efforts each year and those same lobbyists are working in overdrive since tax reform was announced. Other lobbyists have joined in the effort funded by companies who work on tax credit projects across the country.
Crucial in this fight is the influence we have as constituents on the Senators and Representatives that we elect. That is the reason for all of the Advocacy Alert emails on the tax credit and asking you to contact legislative offices. They are hearing from people on so many tax issues right now that we need to make sure our collective voice on the need to keep the HTC is heard. The program is so beneficial in so many ways that we have a good message to tell on what it has done economically and physically to revitalize communities across the country, including Dallas.
As tax reform continues to move forward we may need you to make contact again to our legislative offices so please don’t delete the next email you may get with Historic Tax Credits in the subject line!
|
|
|
|
Historic Architectural Styles of Dallas
|
October 16 - November 17
Monday - Thursday, 9-5 p.m., Friday, 9-1 p.m.
Dallas Center for Architecture
1909 Woodall Rodgers Frwy, Suite 100
Check out the amazing diversity of architectural styles through this engaging exhibit featuring Dallas' best historic architecture. This exhibit is on loan to the Center from Preservation Dallas.
|
|
|
|
InTown Outing: Bianchi House
|
Tuesday, November 28, 6 p.m.
Placed on our 2015 Most Endangered List due to lack of maintenance and a failing roof, this 1912 Lang & Witchell house was initiated for the Landmark designation process in 2016. Now with new owners and a forthcoming restoration, this is a tour not to be missed! Due to the popularity of the the event, this tour is for current Preservation Dallas members only.
|
|
|
|
Urban Armadillos Happy Hour
|
Wednesday, November 29, 5:30 p.m.
Save the Date! Our Urban Armadillos will be visiting Perot Companies at 3000 Turtle Creek Boulevard. Watch your inbox and our website for updates!
|
|
|
|
Preservation Dallas Holiday Party
|
Friday, December 8, 6 p.m.
Join us at our annual Holiday party in the Wilson House featuring our first ever dessert contest! To enter the contest, please contact
Peggy Millheiser. Contest entries are due December 1.
|
|
Please Welcome our New Members!
|
|
Contributor
Charles Dee Mitchell
Sustainer
Silvino & Jessica Castillo
Dan Nelson
Individual
Nell Beck
Larry Loftis
Denise McClelland
Kelley Poydence
Shannon Stupay
Liz Welch Tirrell
Casey Williams
Young Professionals (PDYP)
Julie Bolding
Hannah Hughes
Raul Serrano
Bradley Sobczak
|
|
Thank you to the following members for renewing!
|
|
Michael Brink
Lizette Cadena
David Gallman
Gwendolyn Isokpan
Marilyn Jones
Linda Smith
Kim Stanley
Dianna Storrusten
|
|
This newsletter is sent to all current and past members, and those interested in preservation in Dallas. To become a member or to renew or upgrade your membership, please click below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
