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Commission member proposes 'Grainery' district to expand South Dallas historic protections and commercial zoning
Summary
A commission member proposed studying a 24-acre area of South Dallas centered on a grain elevator as a possible second historic district, recommending a reconnaissance survey and noting potential grant and tax-increment financing benefits; commissioners agreed to preliminary fieldwork and to target a CLG grant application in 2027.
A member of the Dallas Historic Preservation Commission proposed that the commission explore creating a second local historic district — a working concept dubbed the “Grainery District” — in the South Dallas Urban Renewal District, saying the area’s grain elevator, old mill and Morston School anchor a cluster of mostly historic homes and three commercial buildings that merit preservation and could support expanded downtown activity.
The presenter said the study area is about 24 acres containing 66 properties (approximately 16 industrially zoned and 50 residential), and said many residential buildings date to the 1880s–1920s and have been restored. The presenter cited the South Dallas Urban Renewal District’s recent transportation study (described in the meeting as a roughly $180,000, 742-page study) and said the urban renewal plan explicitly recommends south-side Main Street improvements, commercial zoning and assistance for rehabilitation and development.
The commission was offered four possible approaches: do nothing; designate key buildings as individual historic resources; pursue a local historic district; or seek another national historic district listing. The presenter recommended beginning with a reconnaissance survey — a standard, lower-cost first step that documents properties by address and photograph — to evaluate feasibility and to create a scope for a formal survey contract.
The presenter said the commission could pursue a CLG reconnaissance grant in 2027 (the commission described the grant as commonly around $17,000 with a 50% local match), which would fund professional survey work, and suggested South Dallas Urban Renewal District matching funds could meet the required local share. Commissioners agreed the reconnaissance survey could be scaled to the blocks inside the South Dallas Urban Renewal District to preserve eligibility for URD funding.
Commissioners volunteered to do baseline, nonprofessional reconnaissance this summer — walking blocks, noting construction dates, and compiling addresses and photographs to form an initial spreadsheet for an RFQ — to reduce the scope and cost of a formal contract. Dan offered to help with field work and data organization; the presenter said that preliminary effort would inform an eventual formal application and help the commission prepare a competitive RFQ/RFP.
The presenter framed the district as a way to expand the central business district, increase the tax base, enable grant eligibility and protect historic houses from demolition. The only property currently on the local historic registry in the proposed area is the Soren house; the presenter urged updating the local inventory and evaluating adaptive reuse opportunities for the mill and grain elevator.
Next steps described at the meeting: commissioners will begin a preliminary reconnaissance this summer (volunteer fieldwork and a shared spreadsheet), gather additional maps and building-date research, and prepare to apply for a CLG reconnaissance grant in 2027 if the commission decides to move forward. There was no formal vote on establishing a district at the meeting; the item was presented as a long-term initiative requiring further study.
