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Dallas City Council faces choice to keep city hall
Dallas City Council is debating the future of its iconic but deteriorating City Hall after staff estimated required deferred maintenance costs at up to $345 million, while the cost of relocation remains unknown.
DALLAS - Today, the Dallas City Council finance committee discussed if the city should move out of its iconic city hall. City staff gave a wide-ranging estimate of between $150 million to $345 million for the deferred maintenance.
While a lot of numbers were discussed about the costs of needed repairs, what was left out was the cost of moving out of the building and buying or leasing an office tower.
Is Dallas City Hall beyond repair?
What we know:
In the city finance committee on Tuesday, the distinctive Dallas City Hall building, designed by the same famed architect who created the Louvre Pyramid, was compared to a dilapidated Oak Cliff school campus that underwent a massive reconstruction.
"I look at these photos reminds me of South Oak Cliff High. Is it beyond its life expectancy? " said Maxie Johnson of Dallas' District 7. The city staff told Johnson that in its current condition, the city hall building is beyond its life expectancy.
Photos in the staff presentation show chronic leaks inside city hall, failed plumbing, and obsolete equipment. The city staff's estimate for repairs to the one-million square foot building, which sits on 15 acres, to be between $150 and $345 million dollars.
"Would selling the building free up resources for higher priority projects?" asked City Councilwoman Kathy Stewart of Dallas’ District 10.
"We could spend hundreds of millions. Is that money well spent in the interest of taxpayers?" asked assistant city manager, Donzell Gipson.
Budgeting failure or push to sell?
What they're saying:
Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn, of Dallas' District 12, posed the question: if the needs are so great, why has the city manager not budgeted for them?
"I have a fund for my roof and all sorts of things, AC will go out, the city needs to budget that way, with a $5.2 billion budget, unacceptable to say we don't have the funds," she said.
Mendelsohn also questioned how the cost estimate in 2024 of $100 million could triple in a little more than a year.
"We have a professional city manager, if not budgeting, problem. These photos do not reflect this building. There are no cracks, as solid as can be. Budgeting failure of this building is not a failure. You may not like it. I think it is spectacular. It gives confidence in government."
Pointing out real estate developers were in the audience, Mendelsohn said city staff may have other unnamed motives for the discussion. There's speculation the city might try to swing a deal at the site for a new basketball arena.
"If this is about Mavericks, that is a different conversation," she said. "Staff is trying to scare us to get rid of the building."
Relocation and land value estimates
Dig deeper:
Within the city's presentation, a group of potential high-rise locations the city could potentially buy or rent. But the potential cost of moving was not stated, and any relocation would also require renovation to add a council chamber.
Councilman Paul Ridley echoed what preservationists have said about the current city hall, saying that the 47-year-old building is nowhere near its life expectancy.
"The iconic building makes a statement about the City of Dallas," said Ridley.
Chair Chad West did ask city staff to get cost estimates for buying or leasing an office tower.
Staff also said they did not know the estimated value of the land city hall is on.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the City of Dallas Finance Committee meeting on October 21, 2025.