Assistant City Manager Donzell Gipson, whose team oversaw the research into City Hall’s repair costs, is retiring after serving the city for nearly three decades.
“After 28+ years at the City, it is my time for new adventures in life,” Gipson told The Dallas Morning News over text when reached Friday.
Gipson was promoted to a top executive in the city manager’s office in 2024 as an interim assistant city manager and was made permanent in January last year.
In that time, Gipson consolidated the city’s real estate division with real estate management, revamped procurement services and oversaw the civil service department.
For months, Gipson’s team has faced scrutiny over estimates to repair City Hall.
In October, city officials pegged initial repairs between $152 million to $345 million, setting up a City Council debate on whether to keep or leave the I.M. Pei-designed government complex.
In emails reviewed by The News, Gipson and other city officials worked with Dallas developers and civic leaders to come up with some of those estimates.
He then served as a city liaison in the Economic Development Corp.-led review of the building’s conditions. It put corrective repairs at $329 million and a full-modernization of the building at $1.1 billion over two decades.
Gipson said he put in his retirement paperwork in December last year, and gave his notice of intent to retire in January. Over the years, he’s had various stints working in the city auditor’s office, budget office, the fire and police departments and others.