Humbledemolition

Demolition of the Humble Oil service station at Zang and Beckley in 2012

Scrapping old buildings has become so prevalent in Dallas that now we need a “task force” to address the problem.

Sign up for our newsletter!

* indicates required

The new Preservation Task Force meets at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, for the first time. The force is tasked with figuring out how to stop developers from tearing down so many buildings, after several 100-year-old structures downtown met the wrecking ball late last year.

In our neighborhood, old buildings including the Humble Oil service station, the Oak Cliff Christian Church, the Alamo Plaza Motel and the Mission Motel are goners.

Landmark Commission chair Katherine Seale is heading the task force. Other members are Hamilton Properties Corp. founder and CEO Larry Hamilton, Paradise Development president Mitch Paradise, Matthews Southwest president Jack Matthews, Brian Keith of JHP Architecture/Urban Design, Callison principal Brian Adams, The Brytar Cos. president Scott Remphrey, Hunt Realty Investments vice president Todd Watson, DSGN Associates president Bob Meckfessel, Cooper Consulting Co. Inc. owner Connie Cooper and Preservation Dallas executive director David Preziosi.

As far as we can tell, Preziosi is the only one who lives in Oak Cliff.