A Dallas City Council committee has advanced several steps toward leaving City Hall.
The council’s finance committee heard a staff breakdown on February 23 on the potential $1 billion cost to renovate Dallas City Hall. By the end of the meeting, officials advanced several items suggesting leaving the building.
The committee unanimously passed measures to move out the remaining staff and emergency operations such as 911 and 311, and to explore developing the current site, according to WFAA. Next, the full council will decide the property’s fate.
“It can’t be a decision based on emotion and sentiment,” Councilwoman Kathy Steward said, according to KERA. “This is now an economic decision based on sound financial analysis.”
Architect I.M. Pei designed the modernist City Hall at 1500 Marilla Street after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. After the building served Dallas for nearly 50 years, officials could move to a new site, citing long-term maintenance issues.
The city might have to pay between $906 million and $1.1 billion for repairs, according to a new report released on February 20. Some officials are calling for a move to a new location to improve fiscal responsibility, while others are questioning the number.
The Breakdown
While the February 23 meeting was for the finance committee, all 14 council members and City Manager Kim Tolbert attended at least part of the briefing, according to the Dallas Observer. Mayor Eric Johnson did not attend.
During the briefing, staff presented the findings of a report on the condition of City Hall by the Economic Development Corporation’s CEO, Linda McMahon; Assistant City Manager Donzell Gibson; AECOM Vice President Steven Duong; CBRE Vice President Peter Jansen; and Corgan Senior Workplace Strategist Jasmine Griffitts.
The researchers said it would take at least $906 million to make the current City Hall “fully updated.” To address “major building systems and infrastructure deficiencies,” they estimated the cost at $329.4 million.
“Fully updating City Hall will cost much more than corrective repairs due to required code and ADA upgrades, temporary relocation, and financing costs,” the presentation reads. “The real estate market engagement revealed favorable conditions and cost-effective relocation solutions as compared to the renovation cost estimate.”
Researchers found “all systems past their useful life” in City Hall, with mechanical, plumbing, heating, A/C, and electrical systems falling short of modern standards. Most repairs so far have been in response to system failure.
“Our assessment sees that if you want to hold on to this building in the long term, a large-scale systems replacement [is necessary],” Duong said, according to the Dallas Observer.
The Debate
When Johnson initially tasked the committee with evaluating City Hall, he asked officials to take the most “fiscally responsible” course. Some questioned the official cost estimate.
“Many of us up here are skeptical,” said Committee Chair Chad West, according to WFAA.
The issue sparked an alliance between Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn and Councilmen Adam Bazaldua, Bill Roth, and Paul Ridley.
“Before we even consider abandoning City Hall, we should demand a truly apples-to-apples 20-year financial comparison, refined cost estimates, and an independent third-party validation,” Bazaldua said, according to the Dallas Observer.
These members expressed concern about the estimate and signaled opposition to moving, though they do not sit on the committee. They will get a vote when the issue goes to full council.
“This is not about sentiment, it’s about stewardship of taxpayers’ money,” McMahon said. “It’s about whether we continue to invest in aging systems that create no new value or whether we position Dallas for a modern, efficient, customer-focused civic future.”
Ahead of the meeting, Councilman Maxie Johnson pledged to hear from engineers and consider all the facts before staking a claim.
“To make a prudent and responsible decision, I must hear directly from the engineering experts,” he said in a statement on February 22. “It is critical to receive their professional assessment before moving forward.”
After the staff briefing, the committee – which includes Johnson – unanimously advanced the steps toward moving City Hall.
