Members of the Dallas City Council will hold a special meeting Monday afternoon to learn more about the condition of the building that houses several city departments. City staffers have warned that Dallas City Hall has several major problems related to years of deferred maintenance, and the cost for repairs and upgrades could reach $345 million. The building cost $70 million to build and has been in use since 1978.
During a City Council Finance Committee meeting last month, several Council Members expressed a desire to get more specifics about the problems - and detailed estimates of what it would cost to fix them.
"There's a risk that we are contemplating a rush to judgement," said City Council Member Paul Ridley. "We pride ourselves on being driven by data. Let's wait for the data before we decide that City Hall is something that we can just discard and move on."
Last month, city staffers presented Council Members with three options: keep the building as-is, allocate significant funds for repairs, or move out of the building entirely. That third option could involve leasing new space for city offices downtown while selling, leasing or even demolishing the current City Hall building to make room for new development.
The building was designed by architect I.M. Pei and is a notable example of the "brutalist" style of architecture, which was popular for some large buildings in the 1950's through the 1980's. The "brutalist" term comes from the French phrase "béton brut"; which means “raw concrete.” The Dallas Landmark Commission initiated the process of designating the building as a local landmark earlier this year.
"That we would even contemplate leaving this building to go to some anonymous office building...are you kidding me?" said Council Member Cara Mendelsohn. "That is not the Dallas I know."
This afternoon's special called meetings of the Economic Development Committee and the Finance Committee are scheduled for 1:00pm. The Council Members will receive a public briefing on the condition of the building, followed by an executive session to discuss their options. That meeting will be in private and may involve discussions of real estate issues. The Council Members will not make any final decisions at today's meeting.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube