Demolished in Dallas: Panel Explores the City’s Most Pressing Preservation Issues

In 2015, the gorgeous Bud Oglesby-designed home at 10300 Strait Ln. was razed, one of many architecturally significant structures demolished in Dallas in recent years.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed the destruction of many Dallas historic buildings over the past several years. From the Bud Oglesby-designed home at 10300 Straight Ln. and the Trammell Crow Estate to the razing of an entire block of century-old buildings in downtown Dallas as part of the Joule’s expansion plans, it’s been brutal. And it’s nothing new — Dallas historic building have been biting the dust for decades in the name of new construction.

But perhaps the tides are changing. The last two decades have brought a huge shift in historic preservation across the country and in North Texas. People are more interest in the environment around them, both old and new, particularly in how buildings, landscapes, and places impact their lives.

Today, Dallas citizens are able to be increasingly involved in the decision-making processes that determines what their surroundings look like and how it will affect them. Preservation issues for Dallas are getting noticed by some leaders.

Though much progress has been made in the city, it’s got a long way to go. Updated and improved tools are needed to guide future development and preservation efforts.

A panel next week will examine how our city can make informed decisions to create a good foundation on which to build a better future.

The architectural wonder known as the Mayrath house in Northwest Dallas was demolished in early 2016.

The panel, called Preservation Issues for Dallas, will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, moderated by Dallas Landmarks Commission chair Katherine Seale. It is hosted by by Dallas Architecture Forum as part of their panel series, with partnership from Preservation Dallas.

Panelists will include:

• David Preziosi, executive director of Preservation Dallas
• Bob Meckfessel, FAIA, DSGN Associates president and board member at Docomomo U.S., La Reunion TX, Trinity River Conservancy, Trinity Commons Foundation, and Trinity United.
• Robin McCaffrey, MESA Design Group principal emeritus

“There’s a lot of development pressure going on in big cities now to take things down and put up new things,” Preziosi said. “Cities like Chicago, L.A., New York, and Boston, they seem to have a little better handle on their inventory of buildings and those that should be protected. Dallas needs to update our inventory of historic buildings, which hasn’t been done sine the late 1980s or 90s — when the last survey was done, buildings from the 1950s and 1960s weren’t considered important because they weren’t 50 years old, but now they are and they’re part of our architectural heritage as a city.”

The Preservation Issues for Dallas panel will be at Dallas Black Dance Theatre, 2700 Flora St. It begins at 6:30 p.m. with complimentary beverages available at 6:15 p.m. No reservations needed and the event is free to the public. Free parking is available between the theater building and Fellowship Church. See the Facebook event page here.