The Dallas City Council is set to ask staff next week to formally explore alternative options to the downtown City Hall building as it faces hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs due to decades of neglect.
The council’s seven-member finance committee on Tuesday recommended the issue be put before the full City Council on Nov. 12. The council will vote on whether to direct City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to research new potential office space for relocating city government operations, review City Hall repair costs with outside experts and study economic development opportunities. Staff would be asked to return with their analysis by February 2026.
“We’re not talking about demolition. We’re not talking about constructing a new building,” said council member Chad West, the finance committee’s chair. “This is getting all of our options on the table so that we are able to make the most prudent decision, weighing all the factors.”
Dallas City Council’s Finance Committee Chair Chad West (left) visits with Vice Chair Kathy Stewart during a discussions about the future of Dallas City Hall, November 4, 2025. A majority of the seven-member committee last month expressed interest in the city exploring options for relocating city government operations elsewhere and considering leasing, selling or demolishing the current City Hall as deferred maintenance estimates have grown to north of $300 million.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Dallas City Hall, the nearly 50-year-old downtown government headquarters designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei, faces an uncertain future as city leaders weigh soaring repair costs and potential relocation.
Political Points
According to city officials, repair estimates alone for the building now range from $152 million to more than $345 million, while maintaining it over the next decade could cost between $343 million and $595 million, including security, operations, maintenance and bond debt. Major issues include water leaks damaging the foundation, structural problems in the parking garage, and outdated electrical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The building also requires upgrades, such as improving restroom accessibility, to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Assistant City Manager Donzell Gipson said Monday that two structural engineers recently reviewed City Hall for free and confirmed the city’s repair cost estimates were reasonable.
The finance committee’s full recommendation calls for evaluating real estate opportunities related to exploring alternatives to the City Hall site at 1500 Marilla St. This includes finalizing an evaluation of office space needs for departments currently in City Hall and other major city facilities. It also involves reviewing office space available for lease and purchase across the city and developing a list of proposed sites for creating one or more new government center offices.
The recommendation also includes comparing the costs of leasing, buying, or building replacement office space against the cost of repairing City Hall. Council member Kathy Stewart, the finance committee’s vice chair, suggested using third-party experts to review the deferred maintenance costs previously determined by staff.
Stewart also proposed reviewing alternative locations for non-traditional office uses currently housed at City Hall, such as the 311 and 911 call centers, ceremonial spaces and City Council chambers.
Stewart initially requested that updates on these items be presented to the Finance Committee in executive session. But the committee agreed to drop that blanket condition after council member Paul Ridley raised concerns.
Ridley argued that many of the items, like finalizing the evaluation of office space needs and getting outside firms to review City Hall repair cost estimates, aren’t confidential and likely wouldn’t qualify for closed-session discussion, which is typically reserved for legal reasons.
“I’m just concerned that this provision will prevent any public disclosure or review of many of these items, which are not subject to any particular privilege,” Ridley said.
An interior view from the 6th floor of Dallas City Hall and its offices, November 4, 2025.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
City officials have identified three options for moving forward: continue operating City Hall as-is with a focus on emergency repairs, fully repair the building while keeping it as the base of city government, or explore alternatives to the current site, such as leasing space, selling the building, or constructing a new City Hall. Nearby downtown buildings, including Bank of America Plaza and Comerica Bank Tower, have been identified as possible relocation sites.
Leasing high-end downtown office space for over 2,200 employees currently working in City Hall would cost $258 million over 10 years, with low-end options running about $206 million, officials said Monday.
The City Council remains divided on the issue, with some members pushing to explore relocation and others demanding more analysis before moving to abandon the iconic but deteriorating structure.
On Monday evening, residents packed a community meeting at City Hall organized by council members Paul Ridley and Cara Mendelsohn, urging city leaders to slow down the decision-making process and prioritize preserving the building. Many criticized the lack of a full structural analysis and questioned the wide-ranging repair estimates, which have ballooned from $68 million in 2016.
Concerns also centered on the building’s symbolic value, with residents emphasizing its role as a civic landmark and gathering place for protests and community events. Some warned against repeating Dallas’ history of demolishing landmarks, while others highlighted the environmental impact of demolition.
“When we demolish buildings, we don’t just lose brick and mortar — we sever our connection to collective memory,” said Anthony Rash, a design professional and District 1 resident, during the Monday evening town hall meeting. “Deferred maintenance is not a failure of the building; it’s a failure of stewardship.”
Jack Ireland, the city’ chief financial officer, responds to questions from Dallas City Council’s Finance Committee about financing the future of Dallas City Hall, November 4, 2025. A majority of the seven-member committee last month expressed interest in the city exploring options for relocating city government operations elsewhere and considering leasing, selling or demolishing the current City Hall as deferred maintenance estimates have grown to north of $300 million.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
On Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland said the city currently has no money to fully repair City Hall. He said bond funding would be the most likely option, but the city’s 2024 $1.25 billion bond program is fully allocated through 2029. Any new bond program dedicated to City Hall funding would require delaying other projects or waiting until 2030.
“If we don’t use bond funds, I’m really not sure where we’re going to come up with the significant dollars to make the repairs,” Ireland said. “The general fund does not have the capacity, with all of the competing interests, we could definitely not get it done anytime soon.”
Staff writer Maria Ramos Pacheco contributed to this report.