Dallas received more than 400 ideas on the future of Dallas City Hall, and most say they favor options centered on repairing and preserving the nearly 50-year-old building.
File photo/Dallas Morning News
Dallas’ public call for ideas on the future of City Hall produced a clear early message: Most respondents want to repair or restore the I.M. Pei-designed landmark rather than tear it down.
Nearly 77% of the 418 submissions from residents, developers, architects, business leaders and others who responded to the city’s call for concepts favored repairing or restoring the building, according to a review by The Dallas Morning News. About 20% favored demolishing City Hall and reimagining the site, while the rest were unclear.
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Many of the preservation-minded proposals went beyond simply saving City Hall. Several pitched ways to modernize the building, overhaul its concrete-heavy plaza, expand green space and better connect the site to broader downtown redevelopment plans.
“Fix the building,” wrote Anne Harding. “Adjust the budget to cover maintenance. Act like a responsible property owner.”
Dolores Levy Serroka said, “Dallas City Hall and Plaza belong to the citizens of Dallas. For this reason alone, it must be preserved as the ‘people’s house’.”
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The responses offer a snapshot of a growing debate on the City Council over whether it should allocate millions for repair work there or move city operations and redevelop the prime downtown spot. Current estimates put near-term repairs at about $329 million, while full modernization could cost more than $1 billion over the next 20 years.
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Arena push
Submissions favoring demolition were often tied to transforming the land into a larger sports and entertainment district linked the city’s planned overhaul of the nearby Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Some linked that to the possibility of a new Dallas Mavericks arena, hotels or other large-scale commercial projects. Others floated casino-style concepts, if Texas legalized gambling.
“Let the Mavs take the City Hall site and completely remake it to their liking,” wrote Chris Ripley.
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Several respondents suggested moving city government operations into vacant or soon-to-be-vacant office towers such as AT&T’s headquarters.
The submissions came from a broad mix, including former City Council members, neighborhood leaders and residents. One respondent was listed as Jerry Jones, though it was not immediately clear whether that was the Dallas Cowboys owner.
Mavericks vision
In a letter to the city submitted by Mavericks Chief Venue Officer Theo Hodges, the team said it remains committed to staying in Dallas and envisions a more than 50-acre sports and entertainment district, anchored by a new arena, team headquarters, training facility, hotel, housing, retail and restaurants.
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The Mavericks did not submit a formal City Hall concept, saying discussions with the city have not advanced enough to support one.
“We appreciate the level of engagement the City continues to show and look forward to furthering our discussions to see if downtown could be the home for this project,” the letter said. “Because those discussions have not reached the level of detail required to support a responsible and credible submission, it is premature to submit a draft concept at this time.”
About 70 submissions included attachments, ranging from detailed master plans to renderings and concept images, offering a broader look at how residents and stakeholders envision the future of City Hall and southern downtown.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert announced the “Open Call for Concepts” in early April after the council directed her to explore both redevelopment and repair options for City Hall, saying the effort was intended to gather public and market ideas for the building’s future and surrounding downtown property.
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Tolbert in a statement Thursday said her office remains in active talks with the Mavericks and described those discussions as part of a larger partnership aimed at both keeping the team in Dallas and shaping a broader vision for the city.
“We are excited about what we can accomplish together through a partnership rooted in innovation, community investment and a shared belief in Dallas’ future,” she said.