‘Demolition by Neglect’: Residents Voice Support for Preserving Dallas City Hall
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Dozens of people turned out to a public meeting Monday night to show their support for preserving Dallas City Hall as the fate of the iconic Brutalist structure at 1500 Marilla St. seems precarious amid speculation developers have their eyes on the site.
Speakers described the I.M. Pei-designed building as both an architectural treasure and a civic symbol, noting its long history as a gathering place for protests and public celebrations. The crowd comprised a diverse array of residents, architects and engineering professionals, and current and former local officials.
“When we demolish buildings, we don’t just lose brick and mortar. We sever our connection to collective memory in place, and we lose these unique places that give Dallas its own soul,” said District 1 resident Anthony Rash, citing past examples of historic buildings being razed.
Some attendees implied or flat-out accused city officials and staff of inflating rough estimates of what it’d cost to update the aging building to angle for a sale. Last month, staff claimed that deferred maintenance totaled anywhere between $152 million and $345 million.
Multiple mentions were made of the sense of urgency seeming to surround the issue as well as the Mavericks’ alleged interest in the site for a new arena. A handful of committee meetings on the state of City Hall have already been held.
On social media, Dallas Morning News architecture critic Mark Lamster offered his take on the special-called joint meeting of the Finance and Economic Development Committees:
Another committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
“It has been sitting at the designation committee of the Landmark Commission for months. The fix is in and has been for a long time,” said former council member Philip Kingston. “When the estimate starts at $29 million during the bond debate and suddenly we’re at $350 million, you know that there is a result that is trying to be achieved that is not backed up by facts.”
Landscape architect Shelley Potter described the situation as “demolition by neglect.”
“The rush to make a decision to keep or raze City Hall is a clear announcement that every property owned by the City of Dallas is for sale to any developer who wants to make an offer,” she said.
Dallas maintains a pretty hefty portfolio of city-owned properties, many of which are not getting the attention they require in terms of maintenance, not least of which is City Hall.
The fate of 1500 Marilla St. came to the forefront of civic debate following the creation of the Finance Committee, which Mayor Eric Johnson charged with determining “whether Dallas City Hall and other municipal facilities effectively support City operations and best serve the citizens of Dallas; Consider all potential options and identify the most fiscally responsible course to address the mounting deferred maintenance and carrying costs of Dallas City Hall.”
Staff subsequently pitched the committee on some of the city’s options, which included making repairs as needed, investing in the building for the purpose of maintaining it properly, and offloading it and relocating city operations.
“I think this issue is so much bigger than just preservation,” said Sarah Crain, executive director of Preservation Dallas. “Really being able to invest in our building, City Hall, is a sign that city council is not just going to take care of our home base but the library in your neighborhood, the fire station in your neighborhood, the police station in your neighborhood. They have a wealth of properties across the city, and not being able to take care of this one and measuring this one’s value to repair versus the value of its real estate maybe puts all of their other properties at risk of that same conversation.”
Council Members Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) and Paul Ridley (District 14) hosted Monday’s event. The pair gave staff the hardest time last week over the failure to budget for City Hall maintenance and throwing out such huge numbers without having a comprehensive survey of the building’s needs conducted.
Also in attendance were Council Members Paula Blackmon (District 9) and Bill Roth (District 11).
Speaking with CandysDirt.com, Blackmon recounted the building’s history as a representation of open, transparent government and healing in the aftermath of the JFK assassination, which had marred the city’s reputation.
“We built something grand because it was supposed to be like the beacon on the hill… I kind of tear up about it because we’ve let it get into this shape,” she said. “Let’s be honest, we did. We allowed it, and so now we’re just going to tear it down? I’m having a hard time understanding.”
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My biggest issue with this is what’s the alternative? I have so little faith in our leadership that we could well (1) end up with crappy city hall offices in a building space no one else wanted and (2) saddled with a derelick, abandoned city hall building that will continue to decay and cost more and more. Maybe it’s a good idea, maybe it’s bad – but it’s impossible to know without a concrete alternative.
I don’t by the arena/casino option. The idea of it being that sort of destination doesn’t seem feasible because it’s poorly connected to our highway system (as anyone who’s tried to go to city hall or an event in that area knows.) With the AA center the city made sure the tollway, 75, and 35 all connect right to it, and even that has terrible traffic with any concert or game. Imagine that many people trying to get in or out of the city hall area – with nothing connecting directly – it would be a nightmare.
Dallas is a newer urban center that needs iconic buildings. This is an iconic building, I. M. Pei also designed the Louvre Pyramid and the Nation Gallery in Washington DC. I can’t believe this is even up for discussion.
How can the people at city hall run the city of Dallas when they can’t properly manage city hall. If Dallas knocks down our city hall, a building designed by one of the most notable architects, Dallas will be a laughing stock.
I am a died-in-the-wool, active preservationist who has mixed feelings about our City Hall structure. When it was new, it was so hip and modern, how could you not love it? After all these years, numerous visits, and many drive-bys, I personally don’t love it. I acknowledge the greatness of the architect; I doubt it is considered one of his best. Fountain Place can stand as Pei’s grand architecture in Dallas. The site is big-time valuable, I say sell, and let the city make a deal on a cheap, vacant, class C office building somewhere out of the way of the future.
You’re spot on – it’s akin to the permitting department moving to a building that was loaded with code violations. The irony…
God love Phillip Kingston. Hey, why doesn’t the City of Dallas buy the old Dall Morning News for their office?
Well, it’s not really the point. Dallas is a major American city. This is our seat of government. It was meant to be bold and imposing. You don’t simply move to anohter building. This appears to be a land grab and the lack of transparency surrounding the rush to judgement is what is bothering the majority of citizens. It’s certainly not about whether we like the style or not. The numbers are being pulled out of the proverbial hat. So trust is completely lacking here.
I totally agree. Very well put. I can’t believe this is even being considered.
Land grab is entirely true,if there’s any doubt investigate for yourself. Mr.Pei’s work may not be for everyone, but it is significant. The Meyerson, Fountain Place,Energy Plaza and the current Patriot Tower are also Pei contributions to our city. This current disposal of Art and History for political and financial gain is getting old quickly. Tax payer money to fund sports venues is old as well.
Pouring hundreds of millions into an ineffective design is fiscally irresponsible. The cost-per-square-foot for repairs is astronomical for a building that still won’t meet today’s needs. Maximize the site’s value through sale and redevelopment—a new arena is a progressive, revenue-generating use of prime land.
The issue is the numbers change almost daily. There is much debate on if an arena is the best and highest use of land in the center of a city.There are many layers to this issue and it’s worth exploring all of them before making a drastic irreversible decision. The rush to make one is what is making most people uneasy.