Old House News

Demolition takes down crumbling century-old Buckner House in East Dallas

1425 N. Buckner

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An East Dallas-famous house near Casa Linda Plaza that sat on the market for more than a year is meeting its timely ending.

Located at 1425 N. Buckner Blvd., it was a landmark estate sitting on 4.18 acres in the heart of Casa Linda Estates that went on the market in April.

The grand old home was built in 1925 or 1928, depending on who you ask, and became a point of obsession for many East Dallas residents who were intrigued by its Spanish castle facade with a pale tan brick exterior and domed clay Spanish tile roof, making it look a little like a fortress, including a fun turret that sat atop.

The house originally went on the market for $3.45 million, but the price was reduced at least half a dozen times, even being removed from the market in October. It resurfaced with a new listed price at $2.8 million, which finally drew a buyer. The listing shows the house as "under contract."

A backhoe started knocking down the structure on the morning of December 22. By 4 pm, it was gone.

The home had 6 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, one full kitchen, a kitchenette. A yard behind the house included a massive barn filled with all manner of rusted iron junk.

1425 N. Buckner Demolition underway on 1425 N. BuckerFacebook

The house belonged to Tricia Johnson, and was the home of her in-laws, who passed away. She and her family were hoping that someone would renovate.

But potential buyers who visited the house found it had not received even basic maintenance and was in great disrepair, with extensive interior damage and decay (a condition that media were not allowed by the sellers to document).

Josh McDowell, founder of JM Construction Solutions, was one qualified buyer with the interest and skills to do a restoration, but estimated that the work would run $1 to $2 million — almost more than the house was worth. (The only buyers who were granted showings of the property had to submit financial information, curious neighborhood looky-loos were not allowed.)

This wouldn't be the first grand but decaying old home to go on the market and be razed.

A similar scenario recently occured with a home in Dallas' Lakewood neighborhood at 7226 Lakewood Blvd. which went on the market in August.

That home was designed by famed architect Cliff Hutsell, built in 1932, and kept in mostly original condition by its owners until they passed away. They left the home to their children who also wanted someone to buy it and restore it, while reaping vast profits from the sale.

Not unlike the house on Buckner, the Lakewood home had not been maintained and had numerous issues inside and out. That home was sold in September, and the buyers were not interested in restoring it. It was subsequently razed to a lot of online hue and cry.

But the reality seems to be that the people who can afford these houses generally do not seem interested in restoring them, while the people who insist these houses be restored aren't able or willing to pay for it.

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GP News

Grand Prairie expands to the south with new master-planned community

Rendering courtesy of Provident

Goodland Grand Prairie

The City of Grand Prairie is growing fast and expanding to make way for a new master-planned development south of US Highway 287 and along Tollway 360, in Ellis and Johnson counties.

The community development, called Goodland, is the result of Grand Prairie’s recent 1,500-acre annexation extending its southern border toward Mansfield. Overall, with the added land, Goodland will be a 5,000-acre site featuring 15,000 residences including townhomes, custom homes, and gated communities for 50,000 residents.

According to a release, it will be a “city within a city” and a 45-minute drive from Dallas-Fort Worth. Beyond housing, there will be shops, restaurants, schools, public and private event venues, regional sports fields and complexes, dance halls, churches, trail systems, city parks, ponds, and preserved green spaces.

“This is a significant step in our city’s development,” says Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen in a statement. “Unlike many of our neighboring cities, we have the unique advantage of new development opportunities to our south that will drive the growth and prosperity of our city. We recognized the opportunity and took decisive action.”

Leading the development is Provident, a Dallas-based real estate firm that has created other master-planned communities across Dallas-Fort Worth, such as Preston Hollow Village and Hillstead in Collin County. Provident has plans to work nature into the space design with more than 1,600 acres of creek corridors and floodplain land.

Plans are ongoing for a centralized mixed-use walkable Town Center, complete with civic buildings and other commercial development. Further south on the property near Highway 67, light industrial uses and other private employment campuses are already underway, projects that will contribute vital tax dollars for city growth and future expansions.

“This level of placemaking is quite rare, and certainly not easy to execute, especially in a brand-new community," says Provident Managing Director Rylan Yowell in a statement. "We are committed to a long-term vision with a desire to be good stewards of the land."

A new four-lane road called Goodland Parkway will link Goodland to Grand Prairie at Tollway 360 and US Highway 287. It's set to open by December 2025.

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