After 15 years with Preservation Dallas, it is with heavy heart I share news that I am moving to Toronto. Yes, the city in Canada. My partner Greg, who many of you know, has been promoted and will be running the Saks Fifth Avenue store in The City of Languages. As bittersweet as leaving Dallas may be, we both recognize how blessed we are with this opportunity. I will be joining Greg with Spot and Tang (ruff ruff, meow meow) in the spring. Toronto is gorgeous, the Saks store is preservation perfect and true mass transit means cars are for weekends only. So many dreams coming true thanks to the support of each other as well as our family, friends and colleagues, many of whom we met through Preservation Dallas. I will miss my work family, David, Irene and Linda, and hope to say good bye to everybody in the coming months at our events, and at the Wilson House. I am, of course, looking into historic preservation careers in Toronto and hope to continue doing what I love best. Probably going to learn another language too!

DISD Long Range Plan to Call for Demolition of 47 Schools - DISD is working on a Long-Range Facilities Master Plan for the school district which will include the closing, consolidation or replacement of existing schools across the district. This is in an effort to make schools more efficient and reduce the average age of schools in DISD from 51.7 years to 41.6 years to get below the national average of 44 years for schools. To achieve this 47 schools are to be demolished with 25 replacement schools to be built. The majority of the schools proposed for demolition are over 50 years old, the national benchmark to be considered historic. To do this would require a $2 billion bond which would need to be passed by voters in 2021 or 2022. Currently DISD is holding community meetings at the schools targeted for demolition or replacement. To find out more about the plan click here. To view a PowerPoint with the listing of the schools for demolition click here. Preservation Dallas is currently reviewing the list of schools proposed for demolition and cross referencing them with the schools that Education Committee has been working on researching to find out their historic and architectural significance.

Historic Designation and Appeal Process - The recommendations from the Historic Designation and Appeals Committee on changes to the designation and appeal process will go to two council committee meetings for hearings on Monday, October 22. The Quality of Life, Arts & Culture Committee will hold a hearing at 9 a.m. and the Mobility Solutions, Infrastructure & Sustainability Committee will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. Both committees will receive a presentation by City staff on the proposed changes and discuss any changes they may want to recommend. The hearings will be in the City Council Briefing Room - 6ES of City Hall. Click here to view the presentation city staff gave to the Landmark Commission meeting last month on the proposed changes.