Dallas’ discussion regarding “the City Hall” issue – knocking her down or fixing her up to stay – has been a little too obscure for me.
So, let’s untangle this.
Like many of my preservationist friends who I deeply respect, I personally never want to get rid of important pieces of art in our city. I love great art, and the work of late I.M. Pei, who designed the building and whom I consider one of the world’s best architects.
That said, City Hall was far from an easy place to work in for the eight years that I served as mayor, and I’m not a fan of the Brutalist school. But it was cool to be in the iconic structure.
In this case, though, I must put my personal preferences to the side and focus on the real issues we face as a city. The information gathering stage of the process has run its course, and most of the facts are known.
Opinion
It’s going to cost an arm and a leg to refurbish City Hall. We can ruminate on the numbers, believe them or dismiss them, but that is not the primary game that is going on. We must be candid with each other. We might disagree with each other, but let’s be clear on the real issue.
The real issue is the lease runs out in five years at the American Airlines Center for the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars. Because of that, and because of the legitimate needs for professional sports teams today, each team is seriously considering leaving the city of Dallas. That is why the issue of what to do with City Hall is so timely and urgent.
The plumbing and the electricity at City Hall will work for another 10 years with minimal investment. And it’s not going to fall down. But we have a small window to make some big decisions right now. A plan to keep our pro teams downtown is on the docket, and we have a chance to do something that will impact our city for the rest of the century.
So where should our strategic priorities be right now?
Sports. Why sports? The future of Dallas, downtown Dallas, southern Dallas and how we compete with our friends in the suburbs depends on us realizing the importance of professional sports in the year 2026 and the impact these teams make on the daily lives of our citizens. The Mavericks would love to build a new arena near our new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and create an entertainment district the likes of which Texas has never seen before. They are waiting for us to act.
Dream on this. The new convention center and the possibility of a new arena would mean 50 acres downtown where over $6 billion is going to be invested, with public and private money. We could end up, easily, with a $40-50 billion economic impact in the coming decades for our city. That’s real money with a hell of a return. This will spur a rebirth in downtown like we have never seen before. Thousands of new residential units, at least two more 1,000-room hotels, new retail and office space and green open public spaces just to hang out. And this will make us more competitive against the likes of Chicago and Orlando for the mega-big conventions.
Why wouldn’t you do this? Besides the aesthetic love for the building, I have heard two arguments.
First: Let’s do both. Keep City Hall and put the Mavs somewhere else.
Answer: There is not a better option to accomplish this vision articulated above.
Second: Let’s not help the super-wealthy team owners make more money. And I hate their politics.
Answer: This one is more complicated; it’s a matter of personal worldview. I am sorry to say this, but we must get over this insecurity. I care about the city of Dallas doing better first and foremost, not trying to keep someone I disagree with from getting richer. Every time we head down that road, we act small and insecure. That is not how Dallas does business.
And, by the way, I hated the Luka trade as much as anyone. But I got over it because we are building a city for our kids and grandkids. I want them to have something this exciting to take dates to and celebrate world championships. This is what L.A. Live is to Los Angeles. It is too good to pass up.
The past is great learning for the future. We have been here before.
Dallas Cowboys, a deal that worked great for Arlington. Enough said.
American Airlines Center. Dallas citizens supported then-mayor Ron Kirk’s vision, and it was a grand slam. In 1998, the land surrounding the former brownfield was worth $16 million. Now it’s worth $2.5 billion. An entire district was born surrounding the arena. How about running that play again?
Now, lest I become too exuberant, this must be done with a keen eye on taxpayers’ interests and a bottom-line orientation when dealing with the Mavericks. Just because they want it and we may want it, it doesn’t mean a deal is done.
Everything is not yet clear and public. I am just arguing for an attitude of the art of the possible. Plus, if we do this it would give us a chance to free up the AAC for the Dallas Stars to stay and win multiple Stanley Cups. We shouldn’t be so certain that it’s time to give up on keeping our hockey team in Dallas too.
There’s a lot of wood to chop before it’s over. But we should thank our mayor, city manager and the mayor’s chair of the Ad Hoc Sports and Finance committees, as well as the Dallas Economic Development Corporation, for getting us this far.
Neighbors might be on different sides of this issue, but hopefully we are all clear on this: right now, this is about keeping the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars in Dallas and seeing a historic renaissance downtown that we all want.
Mike Rawlings served as mayor of Dallas from 2011-2019.
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