Wanna Own Davy Crockett? The School, That Is.

Photo by Patrick Michels

​On and off last year we took a look at the sad state of the 108-year-old Davy Crockett School on Carroll Avenue, a designated city historic landmark since 1993 and almost all but empty since the Dallas Independent School District moved its students to close-by Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary in '89. District spokesman Jon Dahlander told us back in November that, yeah, some nonprofits had been curious about repurposing the building, but no one had come forward with a concrete offer. At which point Central Dallas CDC's John Greenan chimed in and wrote that while the cost of a redo is "extremely high" and more than likely impractical for a nonprofit, "I think that senior housing might be the best use for the building and the only economically viable way to preserve its history."

Turns out, though, the district has stepped up its effort to part with the property: Katherine Seale, executive director of Preservation Dallas, reports that the district has planted a sign in front of the property saying that DISD's taking bids on Crockett through June 3. She's delighted and also a little surprised, telling Unfair Park that "over the years they'd contemplated selling it, but I've been told that DISD really does not like to sell schools, especially when they're adjacent to existing schools."

Dahlander's looking into how the bidding process is being handled why the district has decided now's the right time to sell -- though one can guess. We'll update accordingly. And, yes, he acknowledges that there are myriad challenges with the property -- like its historic designation, which limits what can be done to the property (especially its exterior), and its wide halls and small classrooms. "But given the right person with the right vision," he says, "it could work."

Update at 11:10 a.m.: Instructions on how to place bids can be found here. "And there has been some interest in Crockett, so well see what happens," adds Dahlander, who says the board signed off on the sale of the school and 11 other properties a few weeks ago. "Hopefully we find a good buyer."