Historical Preservation and Razed Buildings

Historical Preservation and Razed Buildings

 

Historical preservation and renovation yield tax incentives at the local, state and federal levels to encourage responsible citizens to provide capital for investment of time, recourses and knowledge for preservation and renovation costs the maintenance on historic property. 

However, there are several instances where historical preservation efforts have been a hindrance to developers and commercial real estate proposals.  Depending on where you stand, this can also be a victory for historical conservationists and neighborhood ambassadors.  A current example of historical preservation controversy in the Dallas proper neighborhood right next to downtown: The Cedars.

Cedars Neighborhood || 1423 W. Griffin

Time Warner bought the property and building with the intention of expanding their physical footprint. This would involve a parking lot and operations center. This could have easily been demolished and lost to development. What seems to have saved this property is its character.  This bright blue structure is a stand-alone building on a lot once thought to host “as agricultural land for service in Texas war with Mexico” in the 1830’s. As a grand Victorian home is a rare fabric in The Cedars, and all of Dallas these days, it was easy enough to alert the city and put a halt to the demolition process (http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com).

A solution proposed by Dallas Heritage Village is to find an investment of 1 million dollars that would move the property, renovate and maintain it. Six months later, the delicate process of gutting out the interior in preparation to move it is ongoing.

Historical Renovation in progress: Vickery Place neighborhood || Richard Ave

In June of 2016, Big Texas Home Buyers bought an altered craftsman bungalow located at 5316 Richard Ave. and began their biggest renovation to date. The scope includes a complete interior and exterior restoration, raising the roof line to add a 2nd story, and constructing a 2 car detached garage.

The previous homeowner had performed several DIY projects on the home over the years detracting from the original charm and style. Our first goal, was to transform the neighborhood eyesore into an updated yet historically accurate home with undeniable curb appeal.

Before we explore improvements, we will address the challenges we faced once we became the new owners.

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