Survey of downtown and three older neighborhoods gets the go-ahead, with a year to finish

Every older building in downtown Denison is about to be photographed and documented, and three of the city's established neighborhoods will get their first formal look from preservation consultants.

The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to hire Preservation Texas for a citywide historic resources survey, KXII reported. Work starts right away and must be finished within a year. The contract is capped at $40,000, and a Certified Local Government grant through the Texas Historical Commission will reimburse the city for half.

"We had different surveys in 2013 and 2017. So it's almost been 10 years since we've been surveyed downtown," Main Street Director Donna Dow told the station.

What gets surveyed

The firm's statement of work, included in the council packet, splits the job into two phases.

The first covers the existing Downtown Commercial Historic District, about 140 parcels with buildings on them. Each will be documented and evaluated, with archival research, photography, mapping and community workshops, and the results will help decide whether the district should grow.

The second is a drive-by, windshield-level survey of about 483 parcels in three residential areas the city picked as priorities:

• Blocks around Gandy, West Woodard, West Sears and Scott streets
• The area between West Woodard and West Chestnut streets, from Maurice Street to Tone Avenue
• The Donald Mays neighborhood near the Katy Trailhead on West Day Street, known for homes designed by Mays

City staff wrote that the first two residential areas face more demolition pressure, while the Mays homes are well kept but have no formal historic designation.

Why now and what comes next

Staff said Denison's population could double in the next seven years, bringing pressure for new construction and multifamily housing in the central city where the oldest homes and storefronts stand. The residential areas have never been formally surveyed.

The final report will include an executive summary, mapping data, a photo log and public presentations, and the findings will go to the Historic Preservation Board and the council. They will be used to judge whether any new local historic districts make sense. At least one public input session is planned for property owners and residents.

Dow said owners renovating buildings can also tap historic tax credits. Denison has had a National Register district since 1983, and buildings older than 50 years can be eligible, according to KXII.

Preservation Texas will be paid in stages: a $5,000 retainer on approval, $10,000 after each phase and $13,500 for the final report, plus up to $1,500 in travel costs.

Sources

KXII

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