Dallas leaders considering at least 15 potential sites for future City Hall
We now know six sites that Dallas leaders are considering for a future city hall. But first, city leaders must decide whether to improve the current building or tear it down.
Last month, a third-party report estimated it could cost more than $1 billion to renovate City Hall, including $113-185 million just to move city operations.
Dallas Finance Committee Chair Chad West confirmed that six of the 15 sites they toured in recent months are now under consideration for a future City Hall.
"This is a due diligence process that we've got to go through to evaluate the options for the future on what's really going to be a generational decision for our city," West said.
Potential sites include:
- EPIC Buildings in Deep Ellum
- Bryan Tower in Downtown Dallas
- Comerica Bank Tower on Main Street
- Founder's Square in the West End
- Cityplace Tower, north of downtown
- former Sears Roebuck distribution center in the Cedars
West said the committee also toured RedBird Mall as a possible site for the city's 311 and 911 operations center.
The list of potential sites was leaked this week. Some councilmembers said they were never invited on the tours. West said that's not accurate.
"That offer has been open for a while and some council members have taken that opportunity; some have not," he said. "I will say that the finance committee was chosen first and offered the opportunity first."
City Manager Kimberly Tolbert echoed that in a statement.
"Finance Committee members did not meet together in a quorum, no deliberations occurred, and no decisions were made by any party," said Tolbert.
The leaked list prompted criticism from some city leaders.
Councilmember Cara Mendelson wrote on the social platform X that Bryan Tower would not be a good option.
"Bryan Tower is older than City Hall. There is nothing distinctive or memorable about it. If this is what they are thinking, we are doomed," Mendelson wrote.
"My frustration is that we are being distracted by drama, most of it unnecessary, some of it justified, but a lot of it is just political, hijinks," said West. "As opposed to focusing on what really needs to be happening, which is our due diligence."
West says the full list of 15 sites won't be released yet because negotiations are still underway and more locations could be added before a council vote in May.
"The messaging and really the rollout of this whole discussion, it hasn't been done in the most thoughtful way," said West. "And I think our city manager in that and her team really needs to be transparent with the public moving forward."
CBS News Texas has requested internal emails between city leaders about these tours, but has not received those yet. We also reached out to some of the councilmembers who say they were not invited; none agreed to an interview.
