Dallas’ Development Services Department has relocated its staff to the old Oak Cliff Municipal Center until facility improvements at 7800 N Stemmons Fwy are complete.
Assistant City Manager Majed Al-Ghafry notified Dallas City Council members about the move back to Oak Cliff Municipal Center (OCMC) in an April 2 email, first reported on by CandysDirt.com. While additional work to the North Stemmons location was already underway, The Dallas Express reported previously that the building’s closure was due to over 100 code violations.
According to Al-Ghafry, employees will remain in OCMC until all improvements to the Stemmons office are complete. He said the remaining improvements include work on the fire suppression system, IT equipment, connectivity, elevator, and other key tenant enhancements.
“There will be no partial move back,” Al-Ghafry said in the email, per CandysDirt.com. “For the short term, we will continue to collaborate with IT, Building Services, the Bond Office, and Development Services to conduct a comprehensive assessment of required facility updates along with available and potential funding gaps for immediate needs.”
“We will continue to communicate this important information to all our internal and external stakeholders in a timely manner. Our goal is to finish the work expeditiously and to move staff back once the building is complete,” he added.
While Al-Ghafry did not provide an exact timeline for completion, he said the City would work expeditiously and without interruption to finish all necessary improvements.
CandysDirt.com reported that Al-Ghafry released a second statement in response to further inquiries.
“The building at 7800 Stemmons is functional even while tenant improvements in some floors are taking place. There remain a few building enhancements to update on the floors that Development Services will occupy, such as fire panels, work on two of the four elevators, and minor plumbing work to a few bathrooms,” he said.
“When all enhancements are completed, the entire Development Services Department at OCMC will move to 7800 Stemmons permanently. I will keep you updated on the progress and the full move back periodically. There has never been a life or safety issue with the building, including structural, fire, HVAC, lighting, or major plumbing issues. City staff in charge of the enhancements have always been on the premises to monitor and report challenges or issues relating to the building, and they log all activities relating to the enhancements,” he added.
Although DSD was nearing the end of its multi-phase relocation to 7800 N Stemmons Fwy, which was supposed to be completed by the end of March, further improvements to the facility are likely to extend the timeline. However, once the building’s enhancements are complete and the Fire Marshal gives the green light, DSD can focus on improving its plan reviews and permit turnaround times.
When asked about the building’s closure and the expected timeline for completion, DSD told DX that it did not have an official statement regarding the closure at this time.
As previously reported by DX, DSD has been plagued by various inefficiencies under the leadership of outgoing City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who also presided over increases in crime, taxation, and City spending during his seven years at the helm of City operations. He was recently selected by the City of Austin to take up the same job there.