A local developer hopes to transform a former Methodist church complex in North Oak Cliff into, well, something else.
While what’s next for what was the Oak Cliff United Methodist Church, on the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Marsalis Avenue, is unclear, Proxy Properties LLC is pursuing zoning for a mix of uses.
The firm, which has a track record of restoring buildings primarily in and around Oak Cliff, has already obtained approval from the Dallas City Plan Commission to bring new life to the worn Classic Revival facility.
What’s key to Proxy is that the church’s future purpose allows for interaction with the surrounding community.
“Our goal is to create something special that people can walk around and is open to the public,” said A.J. Ramler, Proxy’s owner.
Right now, the property, consisting of a brick exterior with simple, soaring doric columns and flaking plaster walls, is zoned for retail. But the firm wants the space to span beyond retail into uses such as office and residential.
“That’s why having retail is important because I want people to be able to see the space. If it was all office space, only people that work here could see it,” Ramler said.
He noted that while the office market as a whole may not be doing well, creative, the firm sees a niche in affordable office space.
Proxy’s plans are in the early stages, and it is hammering out whether office space will be in the final plans.
At most, any residential uses would be limited to a maximum of about 35 to 40 units, Ramler said.
The new — albeit amorphous — vision for Oak Cliff United Methodist Church is a stark contrast to the landmark that was headed toward demolition-by-neglect about three years ago due to its declining condition.
Despite the church suffering an interior fire in recent years, Proxy saw its potential for a life after a church and its stature as a historic emblem.
The firm got two of the three buildings on the property registered as a national historic place. The first building was constructed in 1915.
It’s a significant step in making a mixed-use development viable, as the state and national register will chip in more than 50% of the construction cost, Ramler said.
Proxy also plans to pursue tax credits to help fund the costly historical updates, once it receives zoning approval, as well as any other required approvals from the city’s landmark commission.
Given its official historic status, the mixed-use redevelopment all must happen within the confines of what’s there. That means the restoration of stained-glass windows and the preservation of the height and openness of the sanctuary, which was marred by flames.
“There are a lot of limitations on what you’re able to do because of the historic designation, which is a good thing because it’s also what maintains the interesting aspects of these older buildings,” said Ramler. “If you just came and gutted the entire thing and snapped in as many apartments as you could, you would lose the entire mystique of what’s going on.”
With only about 45,000 square feet to work with, intention is key.
When the case first went before the City Plan Commission, six neighbors attended the meeting in opposition to the project.
That showing led to a meeting between Proxy and the neighbors to better understand what each sought for the site at a busy corner that’s seen much change.
What neighbors wanted was a project akin to the successful Oak Cliff Assembly project, which Proxy is behind -- something that would maintain or even drive up property values rather than erode them.
Like the project at the corner of Jefferson and Marsalis, the Oak Cliff Assembly was a church. It is in the process of being reinvigorated with uses such as a performing arts venue and retail, and office and conference space, among other uses. It hosts community events, such as art walks, the next of which is planned July 6.
Oak Cliff United Methodist Church was shuttered in 2015, its congregation merging with that of Tyler Street United Methodist, along the street that once was believed to have the most churches per mile in the U.S. The need for millions of dollars in repairs at Oak Cliff United Methodist Church, which the congregation of 128 could not shoulder, drove the decision to vacate.
