Dallas city government has voted to move and sell the Brittalist City Hall designed by architect IMPE, raising the risk of the building being demolished.
Earlier this month, the Dallas City Council voted to review the 1970s building’s status as the home of government.
The city manager was tasked with determining the costs of moving City Hall, as well as exploring the economic opportunities of renovating the building and exploring the site. They will report their findings to the council in February next year.
“Future of Dallas City Hall Uncertain”
The news, published in mid-October after the vote that the particular building was at risk, came as a “big surprise” to the architectural community, according to the conservation group. Docomo us.
The organization has raised concerns about the future of the building and the pace at which projects are being developed, saying the city’s focus is on “maximizing economic development.”
“Dallas City Council Members The future of Dallas City Hall remains uncertain as members of the Dallas City Council discuss their options for the future,” DOCOMO said in a statement released after the latest vote. “It seems to be focused on maximizing the economic development of the site rather than keeping City Hall.”
“Many of the public’s concerns have not been addressed by the city,” the organization added. “Why is this process moving so quickly and where is the public’s involvement in this process?”
Dallas City Hall is located in the center of the city and sits in front of a wide plaza. Designed by PEI in 1978, the concrete building takes the form of an inverted pyramid, rising nearly nine feet wide (2.7 m) on each of its seven floors.
Along with DOCOMO US, DOCOMO’s AIA Dallas, Conservation Dallas, Conservation Texas and North Texas chapters of such organizations support the conservation effort.
After the initial news, a petition was started to “Save Dallas City Hall,” which has received 4,600 signatures at the time of writing.
“There are some serious problems in the building.”
According to CBS News, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said he is aware of the condition of the building, as he works there every day.
The mayor has cited his own flooding cases, and estimates that repairs will cost up to $600 million over the next decade, although other reports put the estimate at $350 million.
“There are some serious problems in the building, and if those numbers are true, we really have to think,” Johnson told CBS.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of the table being moved from City Hall just because a famous architect designed the building.”
Local news organization Axios Dallas recently reported that if the PEI building is removed or sold, the city’s offices would move to existing downtown locations.
According to the publication, there are some issues with the building’s HVAC system and leaky plumbing, as well as the fact that it is not ADA compliant.
A number of projects across the US have faced controversy over their preservation in recent years, such as an “extraordinary” fountain in San Francisco and a Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper. Boston renovated its City Hall in 2019, similar to the back and front.
