City council members are weighing the cost of building a new City Hall versus maintaining the current City Hall or moving to a new building.

DALLAS — The City of Dallas published a new report Friday comparing the costs it would take to restore the current City Hall versus building a new one, moving into a new building, or maintaining the status quo.

According to the report, the 47-year-old City Hall’s systems are all past their useful life — including plumbing, heating, air conditioning, mechanical and electrical systems and the building’s roof. Most of the repairs done on the building so far have been in reaction to system failures.

According to the report, to fully update the current City Hall would cost at least $906 million, which includes about $329 million for corrective repairs and $113 million to temporarily relocate its occupants to another location for about five years during the repairs.

To make the current City Hall occupiable for the next 20 years, the report found that the repairs and other expenses could potentially cost the city more than $1 billion.

The report doesn’t recommend in-place renovation due to increased construction cost, as well as the extended timeline, environmental considerations and operational disruptions.

Additionally, the report says there are apparently “favorable conditions and cost-effective relocation solutions” compared to the cost of renovation. And there are apparently opportunities to make city services more accessible while taking up less space.

Other issues with the current City Hall, the report found, include a lack of meeting space, design and structure limiting renovations for current needs and challenges related to security and wayfinding.

Ideal amenities and attributes for a new City Hall, the report states, including a ground-level outdoor space capable of supporting public events and gatherings, as well as DART access and convenient parking. 

According to the report, multiple properties were found that could accommodate city facilities, with a space of more than 100,000 square feet. 

This report will be presented to council members on Monday, where they will provide the city’s finance committee guidance on how they wish to proceed. This comes as the Dallas City Council has spent months mulling over the possibility of moving out of the current City Hall.

City staff estimated late last year that renovating the building could cost $152 million at a minimum and up to $345 million, including up to $145 million for garage repairs, up to $100 million to address water infiltration, and up to $40 million for HVAC upgrades. 

Dallas’ City Hall, a representation of Brutalist architecture designed by renowned Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, who’s also known for the Louvre Pyramid in Paris and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, opened in 1978. The building was also featured in the movie “Robocop” in 1987. 

City staff have previously said vacating the site could result in a “catalytic new development” on the site that builds on the momentum of ongoing renovations of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, revitalizes downtown, and adds to the city’s tax rolls.Â