At Least 15 Properties Toured as Dallas Explores City Hall Relocation

A number of alternatives to 1500 Marilla St. have surfaced as potential relocation sites for Dallas City Hall, with more than a dozen properties surveyed by staff and their consultants thus far.

Scouting work on City Hall alternatives began back in November when the city council instructed City Manager Kimberly Tolbert to “review office space available for lease and purchase citywide” as part of its initial resolution to explore relocation and assess the condition of the I.M. Pei-designed Brutalist structure that currently serves as Dallas’ seat of municipal government.

Emails Surface Showing Select Council Members Were Offered Tours of Potential City Hall Sites

On Wednesday, The Dallas Morning News reported that officials toured at least 15 sites as part of the effort. Properties named in the report include Founders Square, The Epic, Bryan Tower, Comerica Tower, Red Bird Mall, and an unidentified warehouse in or near the Cedars.

While a former mall or industrial space might seem out of place among the other contenders, keep in mind that officials are considering relocating emergency operations and 311/911 dispatch to a separate “special hardened and weather-proof facility” in keeping with best practices. It is not entirely clear, however, which sites are being considered for which functions.

At last week’s marathon city council meeting, council members adopted an amended resolution directing staff to present at least two relocation options each for both City Hall and a separate site for emergency options. Per the resolution, staff must also present multiple repair options to restore 1500 Marilla St.

It’s unclear what these revelations mean for the city. Staff and consultants have been saying that details like the number of sites being toured and which properties are being considered as relocation options could compromise the city in future leasing or purchase negotiations. Now, though, cats are getting out of the bag, with DMN publishing reports based on emails it obtained related to the future of City Hall.

A City Workspace Occupancy Evaluation completed by the architecture and design firm Corgan — which was hired by the Dallas Economic Development Corporation for its property condition assessment of 1500 Marilla St. — evaluated the needs of City Hall functions, which will likely be taken into consideration by officials in determining relocation option finalists.

The report concluded that the square footage needs of City Hall functions total roughly 500,000 square feet — not counting parking or emergency operations. It also advised that some functions currently operating out of the Oak Cliff Municipal Center should be moved to City Hall. proposed a scenario in which City Hall functions (excluding emergency operations) could be divided into a primary space of 205,000 square feet and an annex facility of 300,000 square feet. For its part, 1500 Marilla St. comprises about 1 million square feet, including two levels of underground parking.

Founders Square

Built in 1914, Founders Square is located at 900 Jackson St. in the central business district. The seven-story, approximately 275,000-square-foot structure was originally built to serve as the office and warehouse for the dry goods firm Higginbotham-Bailey-Logan Co. It was converted into office space in 1984. Developer Ray Washburne bought the building in 2023. More recently, he wrote an op-ed pitching the property as a historic option for a City Hall relocation.

The Epic

Completed in 2019, The Epic in Deep Ellum is a mixed-use development with a 16-story, 251,000-square-foot office tower at 2555 Pacific Ave. The office space is Class AA, and there are seven floors of parking. Uber used to lease half the building, but the company withdrew from state and city agreements after failing to hit job creation metrics. Another office tower — Epic II — was finished in 2022.

Bryan Tower

Another downtown option is Bryan Tower, a 40-story skyscraper built in 1973. With 1.1 million square feet of Class A office space, the building at 2001 Bryan St. was designed by Neuhaus & Taylor and is the 19th-tallest building in Dallas. It’s currently vacant amid plans for a possible adaptive reuse project. The current owner is Pacific Elm Properties, and the tower was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Comerica Tower

Standing at 60 stories, Comerica Bank Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the city. Originally known as Momentum Place, the property opened its doors in 1987. Located downtown at 1717 Main St., the building comprises 1.5 million square feet, not counting the parking garage, which is two blocks down but connected through a climate-controlled walkway. Slate Asset Management bought the property in 2024. It’s currently about 50% leased.

Red Bird Mall

Located at 3662 W Camp Wisdom Rd. in southern Dallas, The Shops at RedBird is a two-level enclosed shopping mall slated for reimagining, courtesy of investor Peter Brodsky. Formerly Red Bird Mall, the retail property went through all the hard times you’d expect of a mall, but there’s been a good deal of redevelopment in and around. The mall opened in 1975, and it currently boasts around 900,000 square feet of space.

All updates on the search for possible City Hall relocation options and repair scenarios for 1500 Marilla St. will come before the full city council, per the resolution adopted last Wednesday.