Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welt is expected to submit a proposal soon that entails demolishing Dallas City Hall, designed by I. M. Pei, and in its place building a new 50-acre entertainment district, anchored by a new NBA arena.
Adjacent city properties would also be torn down to make way for the speculative, $1 billion entertainment district that would include the NBA arena, Mavericks corporate headquarters, a practice facility, a hotel, retail, and a concert hub.
Welt’s speculative proposal is in response to an “Open Call for Concepts” that the City of Dallas launched on April 3 for the current Dallas City Hall site, as well as the former Valley View Mall site. Per the open call, residents, businesses leaders, and developers are welcome to weigh in.
The basketball franchise’s lease is up at American Airlines Center in 2031. Welt previously considered moving the franchise to the Valley View Center area in North Dallas, which is still in city limits, however it’s far less central.
Welt has also looked at Irving, about 10 miles west of downtown Dallas, where the Mavericks currently own land, Sports Illustrated reported, a decision that would potentially have huge implications for the city’s tax base.
Dallas city manager Kimberly Tolbert has entered negotiations with Welt, to see if they can broker a deal and keep the Mavericks downtown. Critics have argued the city manager’s office hasn’t been transparent about the negotiations.
This announcement comes after March 5 when Dallas City Council decided to explore relocating municipal agencies and services from the offices inside Dallas City Hall to other locations, as reported by AN.
Dallas Morning News critic Mark Lamster recently reported on the fate of Three Forms Vertebrae, a large exterior sculpture by Henry Moore that sits in front of the building. It was restored in 1997 but today is enclosed by metal security fencing. A City representative said the barricade is there to protect the sculpture from large equipment during special events.
Other Developments
Opposition to any threat to Dallas City Hall is coalescing in the movement named Save Dallas City Hall. Its website gives information about how to get involved and background information on the situation. In January, the Dallas Architecture Forum and the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture held an event titled City Hall and its Future: A Public Conversation on the topic.
A series of white papers were filed by past presidents of AIA Dallas in support of keeping the building. The last, dated February 27, focused on the inflated cost projections from the Economic Development Corporation. It found that 2/3 of the $1 billion price tag was “based on faulty assumptions.”
Recent photographs shared by photographer Allison V. Smith give another set of views of the famed building.
(Allison V. Smith)
(Allison V. Smith)
(Allison V. Smith)
New York–based illustrator (and former Dallasite) Rob Wilson has lent his skills to the movement with a graphic of supersized circular glasses—a trade mark of Pei’s look—set atop the building. The slogan? I. M. Dallas. Wilson told AN that Save Dallas City Hall merchandise using this graphic is in the works.
Rob Wilson raises awareness about the preservation fight through illustration. (Rob Wilson)
The Dallas City Council has already ordered city staff to put together plans for repairing the building and a full move-out. Should the City decide to stay put, repairing the existing Dallas City Hall may cost $1 billion, according to the Dallas Finance Committee.
The Dallas Finance Committee has identified six potential sites for a new city hall. These sites are spread across downtown, Deep Ellum, the West End, and the Cedars.
Save Dallas City Hall has support from many in the architecture community, including AIA Dallas, D. James Carry Design Studio, the Dallas Architecture Forum, Docomomo US, Gregory Ibañez, Kirk Huffaker Preservation Strategies, Norman Alston Architects, modTEXAS, Preservation Dallas, Preservation Park Cities, Quimby Preservation Studio, and Ron Siebler – Siebler Historic Preservation and Remodeling, among others.
Earlier this year, Steven Holl shared an open letter and watercolor in support of saving the building with AN.
Submissions for the Open Call for Concepts are due May 3. Save Dallas City Hall’s website states that the next vote is also in May.