A city committee working to draft criteria to preserve Dallas City Hall hopes to formally recommend designating the nearly 50-year-old building as an official city landmark as early as March.
Members of the Dallas Landmark Commission’s Designation Committee on Wednesday discussed finalizing preservation details and a nomination report, which would emphasize the building’s historical significance.
“We would like to have a recommendation to move forward to the Landmark Commission in a month,” said committee member Marcel Quimby. “Whether or not we can achieve that, we’ll see.”
The push to preserve City Hall comes as Dallas officials await a highly anticipated report updating the building’s condition, repair costs, and possible relocation options for the city’s government headquarters.
Political Points
If approved by the City Council, the landmark designation would make it difficult to demolish or significantly alter the building without approval from the 15-member Landmark Commission, which oversees changes to Dallas’s historic buildings and districts.
According to a draft document on preserving the building Wednesday, among the suggestions are much of the main building’s facades, including historic concrete, windows, doors and structural elements, would be protected and could not be painted, altered or covered. The entire outdoor plaza, including paved surfaces, landscaping, the pool, fountain, three flagpoles, the bronze Henry Moore sculpture and the City of Dallas seal facing Young Street, would also be protected.
The first-floor entrance lobby and six-story atrium, including terrazzo floors, concrete walls, skylights and brass railings, are also recommended for protection and not to be altered.
Maintenance, such as HVAC upgrades or generator replacements, would not require review as long as the work remains out of public view. Areas not subject to review include the two-level underground parking garage, the sixth-floor flag room, and the City Council chambers.
“It is an iconic building,” said Daron Tapscott, the committee’s chair. “We’re trying to make sure that the parts of it that are iconic are protected, but not so rigidly that it can’t be modified. It’s an interesting challenge.”
If the committee recommends the designation, the proposal will move to the full Landmark Commission for review, then to the City Plan Commission, and finally to the City Council for a final decision.
This effort follows the City Council’s November 2025 vote to explore alternatives for City Hall, including relocation or redevelopment, as repair cost estimates for years of neglected maintenance climbed to more than $345 million.
Preservation advocates and some city leaders argue the building’s architectural significance warrants protection, while developers and other city leaders see potential in redeveloping the prime downtown land the building currently sits on.
The release of the comprehensive assessment report from the Dallas Economic Development Corporation on City Hall could be released as soon as this week.
The findings will be discussed during the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting on Monday and are expected to play a key role in the council’s eventual decision on whether to save, sell or demolish the city government’s headquarters.