Three council members, Paula Blackmon, Adam Bazaldua and Cara Mendelsohn, sued the city and sought an emergency court order to halt Wednesday’s special meeting. The City Council is scheduled in that meeting to vote on measures that could advance City Hall relocation plans.
What the key players are saying:
“Dallas City Hall is an I.M. Pei masterpiece and an irreplaceable civic landmark. A decision of this magnitude deserves full transparency, proper process, and genuine public participation, not a rushed vote at a specially called meeting with two days’ notice. We are asking the court simply to require the city to follow the law. Nothing more, nothing less.” – City Council member Adam Bazaldua
“We filed this because the process has been completely flawed from the start. There is no plan, the Mavericks haven’t even presented a plan. I’m tearing down a building. For what?” – City Council member Paula Blackmon
Emergency action is needed because authorizing redevelopment could set in motion “irreversible actions,” including negotiations and planning activities that “cannot be easily unwound.” … Without emergency relief before the meeting, “there will be no status quo left to preserve.” – from the suit asking a judge to halt the meeting.
The Dallas City Charter mandates that the mayor and ity ouncil ensure “adequate and appropriate prior review and consideration of official actions” and “my clients are trying to do their job to ensure that review and consideration occurs…Everyone in Dallas should want their City Council to actually consider the financial impact and vote based on a complete picture.” – John S. Adams, attorney representing Blackmon, Bazaldua and Mendelsohn
“Due to pending litigation, we have no comment,” – Rick Ericson, Dallas chief communications officer