Tolbert Lays Out Game Plan for City Hall Repair, Relocation Efforts

Staff is laying the groundwork for what’s sure to be another contentious Dallas City Council meeting in late May when officials will get an update on City Hall repair, relocation, and redevelopment options.

Debates and speculation over the process that led to council members voting to explore disposition scenarios last month remain as dynamic as ever, with the now widely-acknowledged reality that the fate of 1500 Marilla St. and the new Mavericks arena are inextricably linked looming over everything.

What’s next? In a Friday memo, City Manager Kimberly Tolbert laid out what we can expect over the coming several weeks as staff works to execute on the city council’s March 4 resolution, which called for determining no fewer than two lease or purchase options for emergency operations relocation; determining no fewer than two lease or purchase options for City Hall relocation; exploring disposition options for the current City Hall site; developing a repair program that prioritizes City Hall’s most critical needs, with no fewer than two options for phased repairs; and developing two funding strategies, one for City Hall relocation and one for restoring 1500 Marilla St.

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Tolbert said a multidisciplinary working group of public safety professionals and emergency dispatch experts and a city employee working group will collaborate with real estate consultant CBRE to evaluate emergency operations relocation options.

CBRE will also be responsible for narrowing down alternatives to 1500  Marilla St., “using a structured workplan that ensures a comprehensive and market-informed analysis of viable relocation options.” The firm already invited members of the Finance Committee to tour potential sites earlier this year, a move that sowed no shortage of discord at the horseshoe. Internal emails revealed The Epic in Deep Ellum, Comerica Tower, Founders Square, and Bryan Tower were some of the properties scouted so far by staff and CBRE.

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No doubt wanting to put to rest accusations of collusion and being untransparent, the city will engage the full city council in future site tours to ensure consistency and fair interaction with market participants.

“​​Tours were temporarily paused in March to ensure alignment and will return with a comprehensive tour strategy that reflects City Council priorities,” Tolbert said. “Once finalized, the strategy will require a full-day commitment from City Council Members and advance coordination with the market. Staff will report back with a revised and Council-aligned tour plan that protects the integrity of the process.”

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As for the ultimate disposition of the I.M. Pei-designed building, the city is inviting residents and developers to weigh in through a public input process to gather ideas for reimagining the property, its surrounding area, and nearby city-owned land that will be freed up following completion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center redevelopment.

“The Open Call for Concepts and Ideas seeks preliminary perspectives from the market and the community regarding potential adaptive reuse of the existing building as well as redevelopment opportunities for the broader City Hall site and adjacent acreage,” Tolbert said in the memo.

Pitches can be submitted online through May 3. Additionally, contractor ZenCity will conduct a community survey for the city to yield a statistically viable sample of resident priorities and how they feel about City Hall’s future.

“This feedback will ensure community perspectives are integrated into the decision-making process,” Tolbert said.

With the help of consultants, staff will work on developing a 10-year repair and replacement plan for 1500 Marilla St. based on the controversial property condition assessment conducted a few months ago and possibly previous reports. Staff will also work on the funding strategies for council members’ consideration.

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“The consultants will also determine if all system deficiencies can be addressed over the 10-year period and if not, provide a cost estimate on the deferred maintenance carry-over,” Tolbert said.

Official updates on all these fronts will be presented to council members in late May, less than two months before the Mavericks are expected to make a decision on where to build their new arena. Team CEO Rick Welts and Tolbert have confirmed there are discussions afoot on what a deal might look like if the Mavericks were to stay in Dallas. Welts suggested they would prefer to be based downtown, but the former Valley View Center site in North Dallas has also been mentioned as an option.