I don't know about residential conversion, but the Dallas Public Library should be a pet project of ATT - upgraded and expanded into the public institution setting the standard for excellence.
Discovery District's One hundred million+ dollar budget is a worthwhile investment for ATT benefiting the stock holders and the city; the corporate initiative to build a physical space downtown that attracts and helps retain talent has compelling opportunity to include the Dallas Public Library in the infrastructure upgrades as well as an obligation to the municipality.
I'd like ATT to endow the downtown library so it becomes the innovative information and literary art sharing institution evolving the concept and format of a public library efficient and mindful to match the new ways people have available to read and discover literary arts and conduct research. The downtown library should expand as a museum facility to restore, maintain and display historic books and documents -- the city's copy of the Declaration of Independence being a cornerstone, of course.
Including the library building in ATT urban campus concept would be a corporate investment as much (or more) as a philanthropic endeavor, but that company should not be the only local business contributing to the creation of a public institution handling the municipal obligation of a library --- Texas Instruments played a vital role in the "information era" and has an obligation to make sure the library can function as a public history museum.
It's not just North Texas businesses that have an obligation and wherewithal to help set up the public library for the new millennium, North Texas individuals share the philanthropic obligation to give ---- starting with the Crow Family. I realize Harland Crow recently had built a wing onto his Highland Park estate to house this collection, but this is a collection of pieces that belong to the public....
https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/e ... llery-crowThe holdings now consist of approximately 14,000 books and 8,500 manuscripts and span five centuries of exploration and discovery, politics, conflict, science, intellectual thought, and the arts. Its strengths include the colonial settlements in North America by European nations, the American Revolution, the American Civil War, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the development of the United States west of the Mississippi River in the 19th century.
Just like the DMA expanded with an art restoration work-group, so should the library.