Prominent Dallas architects have shot back at notions that the City Hall building downtown is functionally obsolete, saying it may be cheaper to renovate the I.M. Pei-designed structure than moving the operations to a nearby office tower.
In a newly released position paper, the architects said City Hall’s layout and structural integrity remain well suited for modern government use, even as developers and some civic leaders insist the building’s condition and long-term costs require a broader rethink.
“Dallas City Hall is a building constructed to last 100-years or more,” the architects said. “Casual comments about the building ‘falling down’ and failing structurally are inaccurate and highly misleading.”
But developers and some former city leaders say the report downplays aging systems, operating costs and the opportunity to unlock prime, city-owned land. They argue the building’s repair costs may top $400 million.
Political Points
“For me, the big decision is not just City Hall,” former Mayor Tom Leppert told The Dallas Morning News last month. “It’s how we make a great downtown.”
That clash over priorities has sharpened with the architects’ latest report.
That same group in December said major redevelopment, including a potential arena, could be accommodated on other underused downtown sites without tearing down City Hall. Critics of that idea said the other sites aren’t as simple or available as the architects suggested as some of the options are privately owned.
In the new paper, the architects question relocation as a solution. They note that downtown office towers often cited as alternatives for City Hall, including Bank of America Plaza, Comerica Tower and the AT&T Whitacre Tower, were built in the late 1980s.
They are only slightly newer than City Hall and lack the parking, security and public access features of the current civic complex.
“A lot of people are leaving those towers for the same reasons AT&T did,” Larry Good, one of the report’s authors, said Tuesday.
The architects also said the four-acre plaza and surrounding grounds could be remade into a more active civic space, with greenery, food, art and amenities that help anchor a revitalized southern sector downtown.
Dallas City Hall debate
Prominent Dallas architects say City Hall is sound and worth renovating, even as developers and some civic leaders say relocation could unlock downtown redevelopment.
What the architects say:
City Hall is not inefficient or functionally obsolete.Its large, column-free floors match modern office standards, with problems caused by decades of piecemeal renovations.Renovation would likely cost less and move faster than relocation or demolition.
The relocation argument:
The report downplays aging systems, deferred maintenance and long-term operating costs.Renovation costs already run into the hundreds of millions and could escalate.Relocating City Hall could free prime land for downtown redevelopment.
The fault line:
Architects argue for preservation and modernization of a civic landmark.Developers and some civic leaders favor relocation as part of a broader downtown reset.The split reflects emotion and heritage vs. economics and opportunity.
Key context:
The paper was written by former presidents of the American Institute of Architects at various levels. City estimates put City Hall repair costs at roughly $343 million to $595 million over 10 years.Speculation about a future sports or entertainment district has intensified scrutiny of the site.
What’s next:
The Dallas Economic Development Corporation is finishing its assessment of City Hall options.A report is due to the city manager by Monday.The findings are set for public discussion before the council’s finance committee on Feb. 23.