Stay or leave Dallas City Hall: What residents are saying

Blue and green became the unofficial colors of the latest debate over what to do with Dallas City Hall.

As consultants walked the City Council through the makings of a repair program Wednesday to repair or possibly abandon the aging I.M. Pei-designed landmark, the split inside the chambers was impossible to miss. 

Preservation advocates wore blue “Save Dallas City Hall” shirts. Redevelopment supporters sported green “Say Yes to Downtown” shirts.
The crowd mirrored a City Council that has spent months fighting over whether Dallas should pour hundreds of millions into repairing City Hall or eventually move operations elsewhere and redevelop one of downtown’s most prominent sites.

Redevelopment supporters: Bruce Orr, an ambassador for former Mayor Mike Rawlings’ “Say Yes to Downtown” campaign, urged council members to think carefully about whether repairing City Hall made financial sense. He said money spent revamping the building could instead go toward parks and other amenities if relocation proved cheaper. “I ask only that you address our money problems responsibly,” Orr said.

Preservation advocates: Kevin Pheiffer, a resident backing restoration of City Hall, warned against giving up publicly owned land and moving city operations into leased space elsewhere, calling it “generational theft.”
“Do the hard work, and do some TLC on this building that’s required,” Pheiffer said.

Skeptics of relocation: Several speakers questioned whether abandoning City Hall would actually transform downtown. Some pointed to a proposal from University of Texas at Arlington architects that would preserve City Hall while still creating a new basketball arena nearby.
Critics of City Hall neglect: Others said city leaders allowed the building to deteriorate by failing to prioritize repairs for years.

What’s next: Consultants are expected to return June 3 with cost estimates and more detailed repair scenarios. Council members also met behind closed doors Wednesday to discuss possible relocation options for some city operations, including 911 and emergency management functions.