Part of DISD's Old Ross Avenue Headquarters Would Be Reused in Development Plan

Developers who are buying the Dallas Independent School District's longtime headquarters on Ross Avenue hope to save part of the old office complex.Leon Capital Group is paying more that $9 million for the 4-acre property just east of downtown Dallas.The Dallas-based real estate firm won a bid for the DISD digs earlier this year.Now Leon Capital has filed plans with the City of Dallas for the apartment community it plans to construct on the block at Ross and Washington and Washington Avenue.Leon Capital's plans show a 380-unit rental complex in 5-story buildings. A 6-level parking garage would be built at the south end of the block.A courtyard would be located in the center of the new apartment complex.The development plan by Architecture Demarest also includes the existing central building of the DISD headquarters that faces Ross.The 2-story mid-century modern building is the most recognizable among the hodge-podge of structures built on the site in the last 60-plus years.DISD has already moved much of its operations out of the Ross Avenue buildings to an office tower on North Central Expressway south of Walnut Hill Lane.The school district put the old headquarters along with dozens of other "surplus" properties around the city.Leon Capital representatives did not respond to requests for details of their proposal and a timeline for construction.The commercial real estate firm has done apartment developments in Uptown and near Dallas' Victory Park.The Ross Avenue stretch running east from downtown has seen a big transformation in the last 10 years, with new apartments and retail.The DISD property is one of the largest development sites remaining in that area.  Continue reading...