Dallas City Hall
City officials will spend the next three months evaluating options in arguably one of the biggest decisions they’ve faced in decades — whether to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to repair and preserve City Hall or scrap it in favor of office and auditorium space elsewhere. The good news? The nonprofit tapped this week to provide data critical to evaluating those options is full of deep thinkers and dedicated Dallasites with a sincere desire to ensure the best possible outcome for the citizens of Dallas. Here’s more good news: Lake Highlands’ own Alan Walne is part of the team.
The Dallas Economic Development Corporation’s 15-person board, which includes Walne, voted Tuesday to collect and organize data needed by council members as they decide the fate of City Hall. The EDC will recruit engineers, architects, real estate brokers and other experts to assess the building’s structural condition, repair costs and potential relocation options, according to Everton Bailey of the Dallas Morning News.
Council members voted Nov. 12 to direct City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to fully evaluate the 47-year-old building and investigate alternatives for future use. Linda McMahon, CEO for the nonprofit corporation, said her group was asked to oversee the work and provide a report to the city manager by Jan. 19. The group’s findings will be presented to the council’s finance committee on Feb. 23.
“We are not opining; we’re not taking a position. We are only providing data,” McMahon explained at Tuesday’s meeting.
“The EDC will be making no decision on the data collected, meaning we will not be evaluating what to do,” agreed Walne, speaking to The Advocate Wednesday. “Replace or renovate will not be part of our charge. The city just needed a timely decision and this was determined to be the best way to get the information that the city council needs to decide next steps. So our staff, led by Linda, will pull a team of professionals together in the needed fields to evaluate the condition of the building and give best estimates to bring the systems to an acceptable level.”
According to documents provided to EDC board members, the nonprofit will collaborate with infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, which evaluated City Hall’s repair needs in 2018. Engineers and construction experts will work pro bono to provide an independent review of cost estimates. Corgan and Downtown Dallas Inc. will assess office space needs and compare the costs of leasing, buying or building new space versus repairing City Hall, Bailey wrote.
The EDC will be reimbursed up to $280,000 for consultant fees, plus an additional $20,000 in administrative expenses.
Walne is no stranger to big decisions at City Hall. He served as District 10 council member representing Lake Highlands and Hamilton Park from 1996 to 2003, and two months ago the Dallas Park Board officially voted to rename Lake Highlands North Park to Walne Park in honor of the tireless dedication and community service of Walne and wife, Joan. He’s been an active leader with the State Fair of Texas, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society, Salesmanship Club, Parkland Hospital, Down Syndrome Guild and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, among many other causes and organizations. The Exchange Club of Lake Highlands, where he served as president, engraved him in their “Book of Golden Deeds” for leadership and selfless work.
“He was personally involved in the renovation of many recreation centers throughout the city, as well as the renovation of the Cotton Bowl for the 1994 World Cup,” praised Willis Winters, retired director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, when Walne Park was being named.
The EDC was created in 2022 to foster economic growth, especially in underdeveloped portions of the city. The nonprofit showcases Dallas’ finest features and supports business development and transformative projects.