Judge Martin Hoffman today granted an order temporarily halting demolition at the Oak Cliff Christian Church. DISD wants to demolish the building as part of its plan to build a new Adamson High School. But conservationists say the church, built in 1905, has historical value.
Attorney John McCall, who is a past president of the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League, argued that DISD is in violation of a federal statute that says federal money cannot be used to demolish a historic structure. So Judge Hoffman gave DISD until Jan. 29 to hand over financial documents.
DISD got a $23 million federal grant in July, one month before it bought the church for $450,000. McCall says he thinks the school district’s financial documents will not be clear enough to say that no federal grant money was used to buy the church.
Another hearing is set for Feb. 5 at 10 a.m.
