Richardson residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether to spend $46 million on a new City Hall building.
On February 13, the Richardson City Council approved putting a bond package on the May 6 ballot that would allow the City to raise $46 million to design and construct a new city hall building.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Richardson City Hall sustained significant damage from a structure fire in August. Since the fire, the building has reportedly been vacant, and City employees have been working from other locations.
The proposed new City Hall would be built at the same location as the current one. The project would be funded by the $46 million bond package, in addition to more than $22 million from a 2021 bond program and $16.5 million from an insurance settlement.
City Manager Don Magner clarified that the proposition, if approved, would not raise taxes on the people of Richardson, according to Community Impact.
“Once we get to a point where the project is designed and we bid it and award it, if the full $46 million [is] not required, this is only an authorization that the voters would provide,” he said during the February 13 council meeting. “We don’t have to issue the full [$46 million] so that can still be determined.”
Construction would begin next summer, with completion expected by summer 2026.
According to a press release issued by the City of Richardson, “the cost to replace City Hall with a new building is estimated at $85 million,” while “the cost to repair City Hall is estimated at $60 million.”
The Dallas Express reached out to the City and asked why spending more money on a new building is a more cost-effective option but received no response by the time of publication.
The City said in its press release that it is in the process of “developing educational information about the City Hall Bond Election for voters.” Residents can find currently available information here.
