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Dallas City Council Votes $3M for New City Hall Search, I.M. Pei Building Stays

architecture-design · 2026-06-19

On June 17, the Dallas City Council approved a budget of up to $3 million to explore options for a new City Hall, voting 9–5 to authorize due diligence on potential relocation sites while not committing to vacate the I. M. Pei-designed structure. City manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert will evaluate as many as four sites, with findings anticipated in August. This decision followed a June 10 meeting where a repair proposal was turned down by a 9–6 vote. Legal challenges arose when council members Adam Bazaldua, Paula Blackmon, and Cara Mendelsohn secured a court order to block certain relocation votes. Repair costs are estimated between $329.4 million and $1 billion. Mayor Eric L. Johnson described the move as a once-in-a-generation chance.

Key facts

  • Dallas City Council voted 9–5 on June 17 to spend up to $3 million on a search for a new City Hall.
  • The vote authorizes due diligence on relocation sites but does not commit to leaving the I. M. Pei-designed Brutalist building.
  • City manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert will negotiate pre-acquisition agreements and study up to four potential sites.
  • Potential sites for a new City Hall and 911 call center will be presented to the council in August.
  • On June 10, the council rejected a repair plan for the current building in a 9–6 vote.
  • Council members Adam Bazaldua, Paula Blackmon, and Cara Mendelsohn obtained a court order blocking some relocation votes.
  • Bazaldua and Blackmon filed a motion on June 16 to hold city officials in contempt over a substitute motion.
  • Repair estimates range from $329.4 million (AECOM) to roughly $1 billion for a full overhaul.

Entities

Artists

  • I. M. Pei

Institutions

  • Dallas City Council
  • AECOM
  • University of Texas at Arlington
  • Dallas Mavericks

Locations

  • Dallas
  • United States
  • 1500 Marilla Street

Sources