The Dallas community is invited to shape the future of City Hall and surrounding properties through a new “Open Call for Concepts” initiative, the city announced.

The City of Dallas is inviting residents, business leaders and developers to weigh in on the future of City Hall and nearby properties as part of the Dallas City Council’s ongoing review of options for the municipal campus.

Community members are encouraged to submit ideas for adaptive reuse of the current Dallas City Hall building, as well as redevelopment opportunities on adjacent land, including parcels becoming available after the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center’s redevelopment.

“The future of Dallas City Hall should reflect the priorities of our community,” said City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “We’re calling on residents, planners, and developers to share bold, creative, and practical ideas that deliver the greatest benefit to the people of Dallas.”

Submissions will be included in Tolbert’s May report to the City Council. Ideas can be submitted online at Dallas.gov or directly at dal.city/CHAnalysis by 2:00 p.m. CST on May 3, 2026. After review, City staff will present findings and updates to the Council.

In March, the Dallas City Council did not make a final decision on what to do about the troubled City Hall building. Instead, council members decided to further explore all of their options, which include staying in City Hall, leaving City Hall or redeveloping the building and the land it sits on.

Cost estimate tops $1 billion

A city report issued in February estimated bringing the building up to modern standards could cost as much as $1.1 billion over the next two decades and would require the building to be vacated for at least five years, officials said.

Opponents pointed out the actual cost for repairs would stand at $329 million, and disputed it would need to be vacant for that long. 

The building, designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei, opened in 1978. It has been praised by preservationists as an irreplaceable example of modernist architecture.

The fate of the building had been in doubt since November 2025. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson told CBS News Texas at the time he wanted to see all the facts before making a decision.

Report details problems

In more than 1,000 pages of documents, officials detailed structural problems throughout the building, including water intrusion and localized concrete deterioration, and cracking and other failures where City Hall connects to its attached parking garage.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said he, like everyone else, is waiting for more information. Earlier this month, he and eight council members voted to have the city manager determine how much it would cost to move City Hall to another building and compare that to staying and making repairs.

The city manager is also evaluating whether the current site could support private development. That report is due to the council no later than May, and the Finance Committee may be briefed on May 26. The full council could vote in June.

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