Dallas officials scouting locations for a possible new City Hall have toured at least 15 sites, ranging from downtown office towers to redevelopment properties in southern Dallas and warehouse space near the Cedars.
The visits, described by three people with knowledge of them, suggest the city’s search for alternatives to the aging I.M. Pei-designed building has expanded beyond downtown and could split city functions among multiple sites.
Among the properties examined were Founders Square in downtown’s West End, The Epic in Deep Ellum, a warehouse in the Cedars, Bryan Tower and Comerica Tower downtown, and Red Bird Mall in southern Dallas, which was explored as a possible home for the city’s 311 and 911 operations.
Emails reviewed by The Dallas Morning News show that city staff and consultants discussed how to arrange tours of prospective sites as part of an evaluation of whether Dallas should invest in significant repairs of City Hall or move and redevelop its prime location.
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A small group of Dallas officials, including city staff, economic development leaders and a handful of City Council members, took part in tours in recent weeks. Two people with knowledge of the visits said the scope of the search appears far more extensive than previously disclosed.
On Tuesday, The News contacted all 14 City Council members and the mayor. Six responded, none of whom said they’d been invited.
Emails reviewed by The News showed city staff and CBRE officials arranged tours of up to four potential sites for a few council members. City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert told The News late Monday that “members of the Finance Committee were invited to meet with CBRE and visit potential sites,” but it was not clear if it was the whole committee.
Council members Chad West, Kathy Stewart, Zarin Gracey, Maxie Johnson, Jesse Moreno, Jaime Resendez and Gay Donnell Willis sit on the Finance Committee. Among them, Gracey, Johnson and Willis said Tuesday they did not tour any locations.
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Last week, the council voted 9–6 to study moving the city’s 911, 311 and emergency operations out of City Hall while also exploring repair costs and financing options for staying in the building or leaving it.
With only a portion of council members aware of the tours, questions remain about the process and who is steering it.
Another layer to the debate is speculation could move to make way for a sports arena on the site. The Dallas Mavericks’ lease at the American Airlines Center expires in 2031, and team officials have said they plan to announce by July where a new arena could be built.
Possible locations include the former Valley View Mall site in North Dallas and an unspecified location downtown.
Touring sites
Council member Paula Blackmon, who wasn’t invited on the tours, said Tuesday the visits reinforce her concern that decisions are being shaped before the full council weighs in.
“It’s like looking at new houses when you haven’t even decided if you’re going to take out a loan or do the renovations yourself on your current house,” she said.
City officials have said the visits were part of City Council’s Nov. 12 approval of a resolution to explore alternatives to City Hall and vet city staff’s repair estimates.
The tours, some lasting 30 to 45 minutes, included repeat visits to certain sites, the most recent occurring as recently as three weeks ago, according to two business leaders with knowledge of the visits.
Separately, Pacific Elm CEO Billy Prewitt confirmed that city officials toured Bryan Tower, a 40-story, 1973 high-rise that is expected to be vacated within a year.
“It would be a great option for them,” Prewitt said, noting the building’s historic designation and transit access. Officials also asked about Whitacre Tower, AT&T’s current headquarters, though Prewitt said it couldn’t meet current timelines.
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Divided reactions
Council members who spoke with The News offered sharply different reactions to the tours. Some criticized the process as premature and exclusionary. Others defended it as routine groundwork for a complicated decision.
Council member Paul Ridley said the council has received no disclosure about who toured sites or when.
He called it “unfair” and “inappropriate” that some members had access to information others did not, particularly before the council voted last week to explore additional options.
“It raises questions whether this was a predetermined outcome,” Ridley said.
Council members Ridley, Gracey, Johnson and Lorie Blair said they didn’t know which of their colleagues may have participated.
Willis said she was not offered a tour but attended a meeting at CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm, the week before the Feb. 23 Finance Committee meeting to review top proposals. She noted no other council members were present.
Blair said she would have turned down an opportunity to view the sites if offered because it would be getting ahead of the process.
Johnson said deliberations must remain transparent regardless of the outcome so the public and the full council understand the real costs of repairing City Hall or relocating.
Gracey said exploring options is part of responsible decision-making.
“I’ve been clear about this: I don’t like the building, I don’t think it’s functional and if the dollars make sense, I would be in favor of a move,” Gracey said. “In the meantime, let’s do what we can to get all the information we can, so we can make a sound decision.”
Email trail
The Dallas Morning News reviewed nearly 5,000 pages of emails exchanged over the past 12 months among city officials, consultants and others involved in discussions about the future of City Hall. The messages offer a behind-the-scenes look at the debate over whether Dallas should repair the aging building or relocate government operations.