Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert say they’ll lead a group of business and civic leaders to New York next week to lure more corporations to Texas — just as the city prepares for a pivotal debate over the future of its aging City Hall.
But when pressed Thursday about the timing, funding and targets of the trip, officials offered few answers, ending the news conference without taking questions from reporters.
Tolbert said during the news conference that the trip is planned for next Thursday and Friday, days after City Council members plan to publicly discuss a long-awaited report assessing City Hall’s structural condition, repair needs and possible relocation. City staff estimated last fall that it could cost up to $345 million to fully repair City Hall after years of neglect.
The independent report from the Dallas Economic Development Corp. could drop as early as Friday and will be discussed publicly at the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting on Monday.
Political Points
Dallas city manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert takes the podium during a press conference announcing a city-sanctioned trip to New York to promote the planned Texas Stock Exchange, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at Dallas City Hall.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
At the City Hall news conference, Johnson and Tolbert touted Dallas’ rise as a financial hub dubbed “Y’all Street.” They pointed to expansions by Goldman Sachs and Scotiabank, as well as the launch of three new stock exchanges, including the Texas Stock Exchange.
“Dallas has built a strong fiscal foundation with disciplined budget practices and a business-friendly climate that supports targeted, sustainable growth,” Tolbert said during the news conference.
They framed the New York trip as a chance to attract more investment, but declined to specify after the news conference which businesses they’re targeting or how much the trip will cost.
“There’s no connection with the timing,” the mayor said when asked by The Dallas Morning News about the overlap with the City Hall report as he was leaving. “This is when we could coordinate the delegation on making the trip. It’s a lot of people to coordinate, and it’s an important trip. We want to make sure we get everybody in there and these are the dates that work.”
After photos ops and a chant of “Y’all Street” with some of the announced members going to New York, Tolbert was ushered out of the flag room to a nearby elevator by city staff and didn’t answer any questions.
The New York trip announcement comes as Texas’ financial scene is heating up, with Dallas at the heart of it.
Related
The Texas Stock Exchange is set to start trading this year in the city’s Knox-Henderson area. The New York Stock Exchange opened a Dallas branch last year and has been adding dual listings. Nasdaq is also joining in, planning dual listings and a regional headquarters in North Texas.
Related
The group to New York will include:
Ray Washburne, a developer who is also chairman of Sunoco LLC and vice chairman of Gillon Capital and Gillon Property GroupCynt Marshall, former Dallas Mavericks CEO and now president and CEO of Marshalling ResourcesCraig Davis, president and CEO of Visit DallasGilbert Gerst, chair of the Dallas Economic Development Corporation Chris Heinbaugh, EDC member and chief advocacy officer at AT&T Performing Arts CenterJay Hartzell, president of Southern Methodist University Vipin Nambiar, founder and managing partner of HN Capital Partners Nina Vaca, founder, chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group Wayne White, president and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas
During the news conference, the mayor said that Dallas is competing with other major cities for investment by top businesses and financial institutions. He said the city is “determined to win this competition” and the New York trip represents an opportunity to start doing that.
He said the impact could mean new investments from companies similar to Goldman Sachs and Scotiabank, creating jobs and stimulating further economic growth, which in turn would benefit local businesses, expand the tax base and allow the city to maintain services such as parks and police.
“With the rise of Y’all Street, we know that the future of the financial services industry is right here in Dallas,” Johnson said. “And we’re going to leverage that fact to build a more prosperous city for everyone.”
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