If the walls at the Oak Cliff Methodist Church building could talk, they'd be horrified at what it has become: hymn books abandoned on dust‑covered pews, debris from multiple fires, trash, graffiti, and urban decay.

But the red‑brick building that has anchored the corner of Jefferson and Marsalis for more than a century is headed for a makeover.

"For me, my favorite part of every project I've ever done is the first time I walk in, and you see it, and there's something terrifying about it," admits AJ Ramler. "But there's also something really beautiful about it, in its rawness and in its damaged state."

Ramler, the founder of Proxy Properties, is something of a serial rehabber. Where others see only decay and would say "just tear it down," he and his partners see potential - and set about rebuilding and restoring.

"I think one thing that Dallas is realizing, hopefully, is the difference between suburbs and the city is its history," Ramler said. "For the first 80 to 100 years of Oak Cliff's existence, this was downtown Oak Cliff."

City backs major redevelopment effort

This week, the Dallas City Council unanimously approved a Tax Increment Financing development agreement providing up to $10 million from Oak Cliff Gateway TIF District funds to support The Jefferson Redevelopment Project. The building was designated a City of Dallas Historic Landmark in 1995 and a Texas Historical Landmark in 1999. It has been vacant for more than a decade, and city leaders say its restoration will be a major win for the community.

"This is an incredible opportunity to preserve and rehabilitate a historic building, while creating 45 mixed‑income housing units and new retail and commercial space," Council Member Chad West said in a statement. "Jefferson Blvd deserves this public investment, and I want to thank the many Oak Cliff preservationists who advocated for this building's preservation and AJ Ramler, who turned this dream into a reality."

A personal homecoming for one of the owners

Ramler is quick to note he has a team helping guide the project, including part‑owner David Cervantes, founder of Elyse Build.

"The bus station is next to us. It was my first landing place," Cervantes said, recalling his move to Dallas as a teenager. "So, when I stepped out of the bus, I looked to the right, and I saw the brick, three‑story building, and I was like, that's a cool building."

Twenty years later, Cervantes is now an owner and sees that "cool" building with his heart.

"Opportunity," he said while touring the building. "Opportunity for local people. Opportunity for future people. Yeah. This is homecoming for me."

Plans include housing, commercial space, and community access

Although the abandoned sanctuary looks more like a haunted house than holy ground right now, Ramler says that will change.

"So, this particular property, we're going to have 45 apartments and 20,000 feet of commercial," he said. A portion of the apartments will be income‑based to ensure affordability. "Now, I think that you're going to see a lot of other things happen in and around this area."

The team's vision for the interior is still evolving – likely a mix of office space, retail, and perhaps restaurants. But they insist that whatever it becomes will be open to the community, shaped by Oak Cliff's input while honoring its past.

"I see many stories that were here. I see a lot of history," Cervantes said. "I think that we want to have more of that to come in the next few years. And I mean, you never know, maybe my children will be here in 100 years."