Attorneys for a group seeking to protect Dallas City Hall warned Dallas leaders this week that they could sue if the city sells or redevelops City Hall Plaza without voter approval. It’s the second time this week they’ve threatened legal action against the city.
In a letter sent Thursday to the mayor, City Council and interim City Attorney Bert Vandenberg, the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition said the plaza is legally designated park land and a historic site.
Under state law, its attorneys said, any sale would require voter approval and any project using park land would require a public hearing.
A city spokesman Friday said the city was declining to comment due to the possibility of litigation.
It marks the latest escalation in the fight over City Hall’s future. City leaders are weighing whether to repair the aging I.M. Pei-designed building or relocate, while some business leaders have pushed redevelopment ideas tied to a possible new sports arena.
Preservationists, meanwhile, say City Hall and its plaza are civic landmarks worth protecting. The Landmark Commission last year approved beginning the process to designate City Hall as an official landmark, though the final decision rests with the City Council.
The council on Wednesday is scheduled to review repair strategies for City Hall, which has decades of deferred maintenance. Consultants have estimated near-term repairs at about $329 million, while full modernization could cost more than $1 billion over the next 20 years.
The coalition’s first letter, sent Tuesday, accused the city of violating its historic preservation ordinance by failing to repair City Hall, citing issues like waterproofing, emergency generators and deteriorating public restrooms.
The coalition’s four lawyers, including former interim City Attorney Chris Bowers, have given the city 60 days to respond to their concerns before filing suit.