Discussion of a possible redevelopment of Dallas City Hall picked up steam this week as the 47-year-old building’s deferred maintenance bill continues to grow.
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Dallas City Council will consider alternatives to the existing City Hall as well as economic development opportunities for the property at an upcoming meeting, the Dallas Business Journal reported.
City staff were also tasked with finishing an evaluation of Dallas’ office space needs, preparing a list of possible sites for government offices and reviewing options for nontraditional office uses. Staff will also get a third-party review of City Hall’s deferred maintenance costs.
The city’s Finance Committee recommended exploring alternatives for City Hall because estimates to fully repair the seven-story building designed by architect I.M. Pei range from $152M to $345M. Assistant City Manager Donzell Gibson said the width of that range is due to how many unknown factors are at play in the historic building.
The building’s fourth floor, where City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and her staff work, flooded with brown sewage water from a restroom last week, according to D Magazine.
City-led redevelopment options for the building could be limited due to the $3.7B overhaul and expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Selling the 1M SF City Hall would eliminate the deferred maintenance bill and could generate revenue for the city while opening the site up to potential reimagining by outside developers.
The location has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for the Dallas Mavericks, who want a new basketball-only arena in the city. The Mavericks and the Dallas Stars are facing off in court over the American Airlines Center, which each team intends to leave in 2031 when their leases expire.
A community-led petition to "Save Dallas City Hall: Protect Our Iconic Landmark" was launched to encourage officials to keep the iconic building. It seeks to get the council to "actively engage the public in discussions" about the building's future and requests a comprehensive study be done to determine all options.
The Finance Committee’s recommendation wasn’t against or in favor of demolition or constructing a new building, Chair Chad West said.
"This is getting all our options on the table so that we are able to make the most prudent decision weighing all the factors," West said.
Leaving City Hall could cost Dallas almost $206M, depending on the type of space the city leased, staff said. However, a new space could also provide city officials with amenities the current site lacks.
"We don't have a regular food service in the building for the 2,200 or so assigned people here, and that's a real limitation," Gibson said. "People typically leave the building if they want to do something outside of bringing their own lunch."
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