![\"downtown](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pioneerpark_cemetery_EmmaRuby.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSurveyors have been seen at Pioneer Park cemetery in recent weeks, the Save City Hall coalition alleges. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSurveyors have been seen at Pioneer Park cemetery in recent weeks, the Save City Hall coalition alleges. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Emma Ruby<\/p>\n
A historic downtown cemetery has found itself in the crosshairs of a group skeptical about the direction of development in downtown Dallas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Pioneer Park cemetery is home to the graves<\/a> of Dallas\u2019 founders. Nearly every major Dallas myth hero and corresponding street name can be found etched into the stones \u2014 many of which date back to the 1800s. But the burial site also sits in the heart of downtown, tucked between the convention center and City Hall building.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s that location that worries the Save City Hall coalition, <\/a>a group of organizers who have stood opposed to plans for Dallas\u2019 municipal government to abandon the I.M. Pei-designed building on Marilla Street. According to a notice the coalition sent to the city on Thursday, surveyors have been spotted at the cemetery in recent weeks, and rumors have begun to emerge that the graves may have been included in the latest plans to develop the convention center and surrounding area.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPioneer Cemetery is hallowed ground, not a real estate opportunity,\u201d the coalition said in a statement. \u201cThe law is crystal clear: you cannot simply pave over the founders of this city to build a basketball arena or a convention center hall. Any attempt to disturb these remains without strict adherence to state statutes is not just a civil violation \u2014 it is a jailable felony.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up for the This Week\u2019s Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox<\/p>\n THANK YOU!<\/p>\n You’re all set.<\/p>\n CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The notice is the seventh that the coalition has sent to the city in recent months, and each threatens litigation if Dallas\u2019 government fails to comply with various codes and ordinances. In reference to Pioneer Park, the coalition claims that the cemetery\u2019s status as a historical landmark<\/a> protects it from demolition or tampering. The notice also outlines an extensive process that must be followed when moving remains.\u00a0<\/p>\n A city of Dallas spokesperson confirmed to the Observer Thursday afternoon that the city was aware of the notice, but stated that any work being done at the cemetery is above board and planned. The city declined to comment on the notice itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPioneer Park is currently under a plan to refurbish the steers and rider, fix the drainage and replant. There is no plan to change the site into something different,\u201d the statement said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, this is not the first time that the cemetery\u2019s downtown location has been questioned.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Dallas City Council approved the construction of a new convention center back in 2022. At the time, the state-of-the-art facility came with a $2 billion price tag. (Four years and two construction delays later, we\u2019re looking at a $3.8 billion total.)\u00a0<\/p>\n