Whether by bulldozer or by flatbed trailer, old houses will disappear this fall along two blocks of South Greenville Avenue in Richardson.

FILE 2006/Staff photo

Richardson is looking hard for a new location for the home at 610 S. Greenville Ave., one of 14 purchased by a developer to make way for Centennial Park. The house, known as the Stults home, was identified as the home most worthy of saving.

The homes, some nearly a century old, sit on land near Greenville and Spring Valley Road slated to become the Centennial Park development, a mix of apartments, condominiums, townhouses, shops and restaurants adjacent to DART's Spring Valley light-rail station.

Some residents are urging city officials to do whatever they can to save the houses from demolition, and the city has responded by working to find a new home for at least one of the buildings. But with a deadline as little as six weeks away, city leaders acknowledge that it might be too late.

"Probably we should have looked at this a year ago," City Council member Rhea Allison said at a council work session Monday, referring to the time it became clear that developer Winston Capital was acquiring property for Centennial Park.

None of the houses are believed to have historic significance, nor would they qualify for landmark designations. But some are worthy of preservation because of their architectural style and how little their exteriors have changed over the years, according to Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture.

The city asked Quimby McCoy to focus on those that appeared to be the best candidates for preservation – seven of the 14 on Greenville that Winston Capital has bought over the last few years. Most of the homes are vacant.

The city is looking for a new location for one home, at 610 S. Greenville Ave. Known as the Stults home, it was identified as a prime example of Craftsman architecture and the home most worthy of saving.

Winston Capital, meanwhile, is working with people to move two other houses, at 708 and 710 S. Greenville Ave. But they'll probably be moved out of Richardson.

Some nearby residents would prefer that the homes stay in Richardson, but they said preservation is better than demolition.

"I find it very sad that we're losing that history," said resident Maryan Schirm, who lives nearby on Huffhines Street. "The ideal situation would be to have as many of those homes stay in Richardson as they can."

Because of the cost of moving and restoration, as well the short time frame before Winston Capital clears the property, council members have asked city staff to focus on the Stults home, which in the mid-1950s belonged to Jack Stults, Richardson's first police chief.

The city's options include finding a nearby vacant lot or one with a house that could be replaced, as well as finding a business or individual who would be willing to take on the structure. The city has set aside about $120,000 to move the home, which is valued at $161,950, according to the Dallas Central Appraisal District.

Cost is a factor that needs to be weighed in deciding which and how many of the homes to save, Mayor Steve Mitchell said. But as a former resident of McKinney's historic district, he said, he understands the desire to preserve old homes.

"We need to have good redevelopment," Mr. Mitchell said. "Redevelopment requires a lot of sensitivity to the neighborhood."

Winston Capital is demolishing apartments on Bruton Bends Drive and Tejas Trail. Crews will then start on houses to the east. Chris Ray, who's managing the project for Winston Capital, said the company is still working on detailed plans for Centennial Park and doesn't yet have a firm construction timeline.

Mr. Ray said that while the company needs the land to be cleared, it's trying to be sensitive to the community.

"We're not out to tear something down just to tear it down," he said. "We made it clear that anyone who wants them can come and get them."

Ms. Schirm said she doesn't want her city's past to fade away forever. She said at least one other neighborhood close to hers, on Maple Street, has been changed forever by large, modern homes that have replaced the old cottages and bungalows.

"Some of these homes are 80, 90 years old," she said. "The architecture is different from everything else, and they're so well built. These are beautiful homes."

Mayor Pro Tem Bob Townsend said the experience should lead to stronger preservation efforts elsewhere, such as on Ms. Schirm's street.

"This needs to be a warning to us," he said. "I think we're maybe too late on these, but let's start work on Huffhines now." [an error occurred while processing this directive]