Image courtesy of Preservation Dallas
Oak Cliff buildings make up a quarter of Preservation Dallas’ award winners this year.
The nonprofit will present three Oak Cliff properties — the Geotronics building, the TyPo campus and Jefferson Tower — with Preservation Achievement Awards in May.
Architect Bob Meckfessel reimagined the Geotronics building at 115 W. Greenbriar, which now houses his company, DSGN Associates Inc. It originally was constructed in 1962 for Darwin Renner, who had been the first engineer at Texas Instruments predecessor GSI. It housed his company, Geotronics Labs Inc., and was designed by Dallas architectural firm Prinz and Brooks. The building’s exterior was in good shape, but the interior has been entirely renovated.
David Spence of Good Space bought the 1930s shopping strip on West Davis at Tyler several years ago and branded it the TyPo campus for its location near Tyler and Polk. Good Space renovated the building and has drawn new tenants including Spinster Records and Joy Macarons. The company also is working to find a restaurant tenant for the former church behind the campus.
Jefferson Tower was built in the 1920s, and after retailers began bailing off the boulevard in the 1970s, it quietly existed as a successful office building for decades. But then Jim Lake Cos. bought it a few years back, creating apartment lofts on the second story and drawing hip new businesses to the ground-floor retail spaces.
The Preservation Achievement Awards are Wednesday, May 31 in the Statler Hotel ballroom. Find a full list of the winners and ticket information here.
