Dallas’ Development Services Department is almost done relocating staff to its new permit building, ending its 36-year stay at 320 E. Jefferson Blvd. in Oak Cliff.
DSD Director Andrew Espinoza said the last phase of its office relocation to 7800 N. Stemmons is underway and is scheduled to wrap up at the end of March, according to an Economic Development Committee meeting earlier this month.
The department has already relocated more than half of its staff to the new building, with the third and final phase set to include the first-floor forward-facing team, which represents the department’s permit counter and call center, according to Espinoza.
Overall, Espinoza said DSD was assigned half of the building’s first floor along with its second, third, fourth, and fifth floors. While roughly 90% of the renovation work on the building is completed, he said that the department still needs to complete “some minor touchups.”
Council Member Paul Ridley (District 14) noted during the meeting that staff had recommended that the Dallas City Council allocate $5 million in bond proceeds for the build-out of the facility. He did not, however, make any indication whether council members would consider approval of the recommendation.
While DSD has gone through ups and downs in its bid to fix its building permit process, Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold (District 4) offered her gratitude to the department during the meeting for purportedly improving issues that plagued the city.
“I simply want to continue to show my and share my confidence in you and the team and staff that we continue to work hard to overcome, which you all have been showing us, to overcome some of … the bugs in the program,” said Arnold.
Long permitting reviews and turnaround times have been a common issue under Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. With Broadnax leaving his leadership position in June, it will be up to a new city manager to oversee DSD and the overall building scene in Dallas.