Wanna Buy Oak Cliff Christian Church? Because If Preservationists Can Find a Buyer, DISD Won’t Demolish the Building After All.

As promised, John McCall Jr., the former president of the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League and its current attorney, just sent word concerning the fate of the Oak Cliff Christian Church on 10th Street. Long story short: The Dallas Independent School District has agreed to allow the preservationists to put the church on the market. If the OOCCL can find a buyer by August 16, and if the sale closes by October 29, then the church will continue to stand where it’s been for nearly a century.

But if the OOCCL can’t find a buyer, it has agreed to allow the district to raze the structure as planned. DISD has said it wants to use the property for the Adamson High School expansion — most likely, tennis courts or an athletic field, though it’s never been specific about its plans.

Writes McCall via e-mail today, “Both parties are pleased to limit
further litigation on this matter and believe that the abatement
agreement is a reasonable compromise.” His full missive follows after the jump. But, hey, the asbestos has already been removed. But so too all the windows.

The Old Oak Cliff Conservation League and the Dallas Independent School
District have entered an agreement to abate the pending lawsuit in
which the League sought to prevent the District from demolishing the
vacant church building at 300 E. 10th. The District purchased the
property from the previous owner to be used as part of the expanded
campus for the replacement school for Adamson High School. The League
has asked, and the District has agreed, for the opportunity to find a
buyer willing to purchase the property from the District and retain the
building for other uses. The District has agreed to immediately permit
the League to market the property with an agent of the League’s choice,
and to make the property accessible for viewing to qualified parties.

The abatement agreement requires that the District receive an
acceptable purchase contract by August 16, 2010, that the procedures
required by State law be followed for its sale, and that any sale be
closed by October 29, 2010. If the purchase requirements cannot be
completed by the agreed times, then the League has agreed to dismiss
its lawsuit and the District will then be allowed to demolish the
building consistent with the District’s prior plans for the expansion
of the Adamson High School campus.  Both parties are pleased to limit
further litigation on this matter and believe that the abatement
agreement is a reasonable compromise.

For additional details about this transaction,  OOCCL will be on
location at 300 E. 10th at 10:00 a.m. on 2/18/10 for photos and
specifics.

We hope you can join us as OOCCL makes history!

Respectfully
John McCall Jr.