Preservation Dallas’ 2019 Preservation Achievement Awards is paying a special tribute to Merriman Anderson/Architects, Inc. (MAA) for their contributions to, and support of, historic preservation in Dallas. The 20th annual awards ceremony will be held on May 15th in the Carlisle Room at the 1931 art deco Lone Star Gas building. More information about the event can be found at www.preservationdallas.org.

Preservation Dallas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the city’s historic buildings, neighborhoods and places. Each year Preservation Dallas hosts an Achievement Awards ceremony to recognize Dallas’ residential and commercial historic preservation projects along with the individuals who are committed to making Dallas a better place to live by promoting its architectural heritage. David Preziosi, Executive Director of Preservation Dallas, stated, “Preservation Dallas is pleased to recognize Merriman Anderson/Architects at the 2019 Preservation Achievement Awards Honoree for their incredible body of work in the rehabilitation of many of the iconic historic buildings in downtown Dallas.”  

“Our firm is committed to contributing to the resurgence of downtown Dallas and preserving the city’s finest historic buildings,” said Merriman Anderson/Architects Founder and President Jerry Merriman, AIA. “We are proud to be honored by Preservation Dallas for our work and look forward to continuing to preserve the city’s history and culture through architecture and the built environment.”

MAA has the largest body of preservation design work in the city. With each project, MAA is committed to preserving the character-defining features of the building. The firm is responsible for the restoration of 23 historic buildings in Downtown Dallas over the last 17 years and is responsible for a large portion of the buildings that have been preserved when looking at Dallas’ skyline.

Among these projects are the two largest redevelopments in downtown Dallas’ history, the $255 million renovation of The Statler and the $350 million renovation of the 52-story, 1.5 million square-foot former First National Bank tower, 1401 Elm. The 1401 Elm building is the largest renovation and abatement project in the state of Texas and one of the largest skyscraper conversions in the United States. MAA is also responsible for the oldest building renovation in downtown Dallas, the historic Dallas High School originally built in 1907 and a quintessential part of Dallas’ history.

Additional Dallas historic projects include Lone Star Gas Lofts, Tower Petroleum Building, Butler Brothers Building, LTV Tower, Gulf States Building, Continental Building and 1712 Commerce, among many others.

MAA has won a total of 16 Preservation Dallas awards and five State of Texas preservation awards over the years for their work on iconic projects in the city. The firm is an industry leader in historic renovation projects and new mixed-use projects in Dallas and across the country. Recently the firm was honored by the Texas Historical Commission with the Award for Excellence in Historic Architecture and received AIA Dallas’ 2017 Firm of the Year Award.

The renovation of the historic landmark building, Martin Hall, at Texas College in Tyler has come to a completion. Merriman Anderson/Architects (MAA) is the architect on the historic renovation project.  

Martin Hall is Texas College’s historic administrative building that dates back almost 100 years. In 2015, the building experienced structural degradation and moisture infiltration due to storm damage. MAA’s work on the project included various assessments, waterproofing and structural remediation, historic documentation through the state level, and non-historic improvements including site work and interior finish out.

Martin Hall is placed on the National Register of Historic Places in Smith County, Texas. The three-story Classic Revival brick building is the focal point of the campus. Martin Hall originally housed classrooms, administrative offices, and assembly spaces before becoming the college’s designated administration building. The original auditorium remains. Texas College was founded as a Methodist supported college for African Americans in 1894.

MAA is an industry leader in historic renovation and mixed-use projects in Texas and across the country. The firm is responsible for the restoration of 33 historic buildings in the last 17 years.

Female high school students that are also expecting mothers can find a safe space for support at Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff. The campus recently began a weekly support group for expecting mothers called “Mommy and Me,” where young women will be able to share their motherhood goals and gain resources for the future.

The purpose of the support group is to provide additional resources to young expecting mothers and to show the students that they are not alone. Last month, the group met for an introductory and goal setting lesson led by Texans Can Academy social work extension groups and social work interns. After learning about the program and participating in a few ice breaker activities, the female students created vision boards to identify their goals for being a future mother and what they would need to do to accomplish their goals.

“The Oak Cliff campus is proud to be able to provide a support group for our students who are expecting mothers,” said Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff Principal Cynthia Miles. “We are thankful for the social work extension groups for bringing this group together and it is amazing to see the female students show determination toward achieving a high school degree. We are excited to offer resources like the support group to help students reach their education and life goals.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 50% of teen mothers do not earn their high school diploma. Texans Can Academies cares for the whole student by providing services like the “Mommy and Me” support group, allowing every student to attain an education without any barriers.

Texans Can Academies graduate thinkers and offer students, aged 14 to 21, a second chance at earning their high school diploma instead of a General Education Development (GED). Texans Can Academies are a unique network of 14 charter schools located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. The schools are tuition-free, open enrollment, public high schools of choice serving students who have struggles in a traditional high school setting. For more information, please visit www.texanscan.org.

The student council at Texans Can Academy - Fort Worth Lancaster Avenue organized an event, named March Gladness, to give back to the surrounding community. March Gladness is similar to a garage sale but with free items donated by staff and students at the school. The event was recently held. at Texans Can Academy - Fort Worth Lancaster Avenue’s campus.

Staff and students at the school donated clothing, toys, shoes, beds, sheets and more that they were able to part with but that others in the community may want or need. The items were sorted on tables in the school’s parking lot to allow neighbors to “shop” through the items. The students sorted the donations, set up the tables and volunteered at the event. School staff members accompanied the students.

Members of the community started lining up down the street an hour before March Gladness opened. Students had shared news about the event through social media, by notifying other nonprofit organizations, and walking throughout the nearby streets spreading the word to the surrounding neighborhood. The campus is located on the same street as two homeless shelters, Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County and Presbyterian Night Shelter.

“Our students enjoyed helping others and creating happiness among their neighbors,” said Texans Can Academy - Fort Worth Lancaster Avenue’s student advisor, Martisha Smith. “We were overwhelmed by the amount our staff and students donated and how hard the students worked toward hosting this successful event.”

Celebrating 34 years of providing the highest quality education for all students, Texans Can Academies are graduating thinkers. Texans Can Academies are a unique network of 14 charter schools located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. The schools are tuition-free, open enrollment, public high schools of choice serving students who have struggled in a traditional high school setting. Texans Can Academies offers students, aged 14 to 21, a second chance at earning their high school diploma instead of a General Education Development (GED). To date, more than 151,883 students have been given a second chance at life with the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff recently held an open house to build partnerships and pursue opportunities with local feeder schools in hopes of making sure every student is provided with the resources they need. Representatives from each school learned about the organization’s program structure through information sessions, class visits and a full campus tour.

Kicking off the open house, Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff provided breakfast and began giving information about the school and services offered by the organization to ensure students get the individualized attention they need. The campus invited representatives from W.H. Adamson High School, L.G. Pinkston High School, Sunset High School, South Oak Cliff High School, Thomas Jefferson High School and other feeder schools in the Dallas Independent School District.

“Texans Can Academies envisions partnering with local ISDs in cities where we have campuses to make sure no student is left out,” said Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff Principal Cynthia Miles. “Our campus is excited to have this opportunity to build partnerships with local DISD schools. Representatives were very impressed by our program structure and the many services our organization offers students.”

Throughout the day, student ambassadors gave tours of the campus while answering questions about the programs and services. Visitors learned about the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) program, with classes designed to enhance the cognitive functions needed for academic learning through a series of exercises and specialized techniques for students with learning challenges. The school also shared information on additional services offered to students such as the 24/7 counseling program and the Care Van, which provides immunizations and flu shots to students multiple times a year.

Through the partnerships built, the schools will be able to help students that will most benefit from the Texans Can Academies academic program and ensures students receive the resources they need to achieve their education. Students that struggle in a traditional high school setting are offered the highest quality education in order to ensure their economic independence, earn their high school diplomas and pursue their college or career path.

For more information about Texans Can Academies, please visit www.texanscan.org.