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Dallas Council Rejects Renovation of Pei‑Designed City Hall and Orders Sale Options

The decision shifts the fight to courts and starts a formal search for new municipal and 911 sites

Overview

  • The Dallas City Council voted 9-6 Wednesday to decline a renovation plan and directed the city manager to develop options to sell or transfer the 15-acre City Hall site.
  • A Dallas County judge has issued a temporary restraining order after councilmembers sued saying meeting notice rules were broken, and that legal challenge could block relocation steps.
  • Repair cost estimates for the nearly 50-year-old I.M. Pei building vary widely from about $304 million to as much as $1.4 billion, which officials say complicates any apples-to-apples comparison with relocation.
  • Preservation advocates argue the site may be protected under Texas parkland rules and that a supermajority vote or public election could be required to sell or repurpose the land.
  • Mayor Eric Johnson has scheduled a special meeting for June 17 to authorize exploring up to four candidate sites for City Hall and four for 911 operations while the city manager prepares formal options later this summer.