The National Trust for Historic Preservation has put the empty Statler Hilton in downtown Dallas on its list of endangered historic places. Built in 1956, the Statler was chosen because it represents a significant moment in the history of the Texas city, according to the Trust.

The city hopes the designation will bring attention to the structure, which some consider the first truly modern hotel. That might lure a buyer for the Statler, which is owned by Hamsher International Limited, a corporation with offices in the British Virgin Islands.

According to the May 20 New York Times, the building was designed by William Tabler and is the first glass-and-steel hotel in the United States. Complicating its situation are plans to raze a parking structure across the street and install a park, the Times says. But the city argues that the park would give greater prominence to the building, and it is willing to help the buyer.

According to the website nostalgicglass.org, the opening of the Statler Hilton in early 1956 triggered a four-day celebration that drew luminaries and entertainers from both coasts. Among the highlights: a performance by the Hiltonettes, chorus girls in mink chaps and headdresses.