Old Dallas High School building being renovated

DALLAS - A developer is giving the old Dallas High School building new life after sitting vacant for years.

The building off Bryan Street near the Central Expressway was built in 1908. It has had various names over the years, including Dallas High School and then N.R. Crozier Technical High School from 1942 to 1972. It later became Dallas ISD’s business magnet school and eventually closed in the 1990s.

At one point there was an owner who wanted to tear it down. It was one of the few old empty properties in Downtown Dallas until now.

The four-story, 109,000-square-foot building is now under renovation to turn it into office and retail space. Specifically, developer Matthew Southwest wants it to be preserved and modernized.

One of the new tenants will be global architecture firm Perkins + Will. They have 24 offices across the world, but the Dallas office will be their biggest. The company’s design director said the opportunity to reuse the building in a productive way was incredibly attractive considering their values.

“Perkins + Will believes very much in sustainability both with environmental responsibility and human sustainability with health and wellness. So when we move into this building we’re hoping that it’s going to be a living showcase for us to really practice what we practice,” said Courtney Johnston, the interior design director for the project.

The company will occupy about 40,000 square feet of space and hopes to let communities use it as well.

The ground level will be filled with restaurant and retail vendors. The developer hopes it will be another place to visit, shot and eat in Downtown Dallas.