The century-old Truax House will soon be on the real estate market, after the San Diego City Council voted Tuesday to put the property up for sale.
The house in the Bankers Hill neighborhood was built in 1912. It has been owned by the city since 1960 and opened as an AIDS hospice in 1988. It was named after local AIDS activist Dr. Brad Truax.
The cost of fully restoring the house is estimated at $1.8 million — a sum unlikely to be prioritized in the city budget.
As a condition of the sale, any buyer will have to perform a review of the property's historical significance. Historical preservationists spoke against the sale, fearing historic designation would not be enough to save the house from demolition.
RELATED: Once An AIDS Hospice, Dilapidated Truax House Faces Uncertain Future
Councilman Todd Gloria, who represents the neighborhood, expressed optimism that the house could still be preserved under private ownership.
"If a willing purchaser could preserve that house and restore it to its 1910 condition, as well as (create) some tribute to Dr. Truax and the AIDS hospice that was there, I think that'd be great," he said.
Gloria placed an extra condition on the house's sale, requiring any buyer to present development plans and seek final approval from the City Council. The original action would have given Mayor Kevin Faulconer discretion to pick a buyer.
Both the mayor and Gloria have said they're committed to finding a way to use proceeds from the property's sale to fund the creation of an AIDS memorial.
