Fret Not, as Plans to Renovate Old Dallas High School Downtown Remain on Track

Sunday's supposed to be my last day 'round here, but I just may stick around till Monday. The reason: The just-posted agenda for Monday's meeting of the council's Economic Development Committee promises that Karl Zavitkovsky, head of the city's Office of Economic Development, will walk council through a PowerPoint titled "Dallas High School Redevelopment." And I was just saying the other day ... Anyway. I really don't want to miss that.

I just called Michael Jackson -- vice president at Wynne/Jackson and son of Plaza of the Americas developer Clyde Jackson -- to see if he could shed any light on the proposed redo before next week. Last we spoke was in August, when Jackson confirmed that they had the landmark 104-year-old building under contract.

No specifics, he said today, if only because the property's still under contract and the deal's not quite yet done. But, he said, "We're moving forward," meaning: By week's end Wynne/Jackson will send the appropriate documents to the Landmark Commission and Economic Development.

"We are submitting an application to Economic Development because we need some help on this project," Jackson said. "It's complicated and expensive, and we think there's great potential there." Again, for what he's not quite yet ready to say. "And we're submitting to the Landmark Commission since you have to them to them for approval for renovation. They want to know how you're cleaning up the brick, repairing the mortal, the facade, landscaping -- everything. So we're moving forward. That stuff just takes time to see what works and what doesn't and get it right."

Jackson also said he's been meeting with the Crozier Tech Alumni Association, making sure that very active and very vocal group's pleased with Wynne/Jackson's plans for the building. "There are so many groups involved," he said of the process. But, you know, nothing specific. Not yet. Except, he said: "I think you'll be pleased with what you see."