Repairs costs at City Hall after decades of poor upkeep could top $345 million, staff estimate. One Council member brought up rumors about the Mavs and the site.

DALLAS — The costs to repair Dallas City Hall could top $345 million, leading several Council members to question whether the seat of government for the ninth largest city in America should vacate its iconic Downtown building and move to an office tower. 

The City’s Finance Committee meeting Tuesday focused on the “state of Dallas City Hall,” including estimating costs to repair the I.M. Pei-designed building’s HVAC, roof and garage — and potential alternative locations, namely an office building downtown. 

“We’re at a really critical point now where we’ve got to make a decision: do we stay here?” asked Council member Chad West, who chairs the Finance Committee, which is examining next steps for the building. 

Decades of deferred maintenance and low public appetite for city bond money to go toward City Hall have led to problems with the building adding up, city staff told Council members. 

At the same time, office vacancies in Downtown skyscrapers have not rebounded from the pandemic — leaving the city an opportunity to rent or buy at an advantageous rate and add foot traffic to the downtown core, which needs it.

One Council member also brought up rumors that the Dallas Mavericks NBA team could be interested in developing a new arena on the 14-acre site, which could be supplemented by 25 acres that will be available after the City completes the redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. 

“The market is very favorable right now for us to take a big block of office space,” said Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley, who asked the owner of a downtown office tower to leave the coterie of developers in the audience of the City Council chambers to support her perspective from the podium. 

While a majority of Council members seemed inclined to at least explore the possibility of tearing down the brutalist building that’s been home to city government since 1978, some opposed the measure as hasty and unnecessary. 

“I think that staff is scaring us to get rid of this building, and I think you want it for other uses,” said Council member Cara Mendelsohn. 

Councilmember Paul Ridley said the city should firm up its numbers beyond the estimates for repairs, which ranged from $152 million to $345 million, and the city staff were rough estimates based on decades-old studies. 

“These are not the kind of figures that we can base our decisions on,” he said. “All of these numbers are purely speculative.” 

Money aside, the building itself and its striking, unique design have some who want to save it. 

“Dallas has so many amazing, architecturally significant, historically significant structures. This is our home base, this is our one opportunity to show stewardship,” said Preservation Dallas Executive Director Sarah Crain. “Why should we repair it? I think the better question is: Why aren’t we?”

West said a final decision could happen as soon as the end of the year.Â