SAVE DALLAS CITY HALL COALITION SUES CITY OF DALLAS TO HALT “DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT” OF HISTORIC LANDMARK; DEMANDS MANDATORY INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TX – August 12, 2026 – Attorneys representing the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition have filed a lawsuit in Dallas County District Court against the City of Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson, City Council members, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, and other key municipal administrators. The lawsuit seeks writs of mandamus and temporary and permanent injunctive relief to halt the ongoing deterioration and "demolition by neglect" of Dallas City Hall, a globally recognized architectural icon designed by I.M. Pei.

This legal action comes after the expiration of a 60-day notice of claim under Chapter XXV of the Dallas City Charter (Proposition S), sent by the Coalition on May 12, 2026, and the City's failure to initiate mandatory inspections following a formal demolition-by-neglect request delivered on July 22, 2026. Although Historic Preservation Officer (HPO) Marcus Watson acknowledged the July 22 request on August 5, 2026, he simply referred future communications to the City Attorney’s Office, and by all appearances has failed to schedule the legally-mandated owner meetings, inspections, or report timetables.

“The City expects private citizens to maintain their properties, but refuses to take responsibility for maintaining our historic City Hall and Plaza,” said Bruce Richardson, President of the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition. “Dallas City Hall has at least one failed generator, active parking garage leaks, and is due for roof maintenance. Instead of tackling these problems with millions in available funds, the City halted repairs, wasting money and time to explore a move. Incredibly, the City now proposes an additional $40 million in bond debt to move our 911 center to a less secure site. Following the Dallas Mavericks' recent reaffirmation of their Valley View plans, taxpayers demand an end to inflated repair estimates that the Dallas Morning News editorial board rightly said we'd be naive to accept. Our Coalition refuses to sit idle while city officials ignore the public and delay mandated action until the historic predesignation moratorium expires.”

“This is a clear-cut case of the City trying to evade its mandatory duties through bureaucratic delay,” added Chris Bowers, Coalition attorney. “The City Code states that the HPO 'shall' meet, inspect, and report, and that the City 'must' preserve its structures against deterioration. City officials’ continued nonperformance is not just neglect—it is a breach of fiduciary duty and a direct violation of Dallas law.”

Key Allegations and Claims in the Lawsuit

• Demolition by Neglect (City Code § 51A-4.501(k)(2)): Despite expert reports of severe interior water infiltration over electrical and telecommunications systems, a failed plaza storm drain, and concrete spalling in the parking garage, the City has failed to perform any meaningful repairs.

• Failure to Perform Mandatory Investigation Duties (City Code § 51A-4.501(k)(3)(C)): The lawsuit alleges HPO Marcus Watson failed to execute his nondiscretionary duty to meet with city real estate officials, conduct a comprehensive technical inspection, identify repair funding, and prepare a stabilization report for the Landmark Commission.

• Abuse of City Property (City Code § 34-36(b)(13)): City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Chief of Real Estate John Johnson are accused of "abusing city property" by failing to maintain core life-safety infrastructure, specifically the building’s obsolete and nonfunctioning emergency backup generators.

• Breach of Fiduciary Duty (City Code § 12A-3): City officials repeatedly identified substantial repair resources, including $22.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and General Fund capacity, but subsequently reallocated $15 million away from City Hall. The Coalition alleges officials breached their fiduciary duties by letting remaining funds sit idle with a looming September 30, 2026 federal deadline while the landmark decays.

• Failure to Complete Historic Landmark Designation (City Code § 51A-4.501(c)(5)): More than 17 months after the Landmark Commission’s unanimous March 3, 2025 vote to initiate designation, the HPO has still not compiled the required historical significance report, threatening to let the two-year predesignation moratorium expire on March 3, 2027. The petition reveals that the City's refusal to maintain the building is tied to a backroom effort to vacate and redevelop the site. Since April 2025, city officials have quietly contracted with consultants to evaluate the City Hall site as a potential location for a new Dallas Mavericks basketball arena and 50-acre entertainment district. On June 10, 2026, the City Council voted 9–6 to halt all repairs to City Hall and ordered the City Manager to explore moving operations out of the building entirely.

Relief Sought from the Court

The Coalition is asking the district court to issue writs of mandamus and temporary and permanent injunctions compelling the Mayor, Council, City Manager, and Chief of Real Estate to make all necessary repairs to stabilize Dallas City Hall and properly maintain its emergency generators. Additionally, the Coalition is seeking a court order to extend the predesignation moratorium by the exact number of months the HPO has delayed compiling his historic designation report, ensuring the City cannot run out the clock on the building's legal protections.

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About Save Dallas City Hall Coalition:

The Save Dallas City Hall Coalition is a Texas nonprofit corporation committed to the preservation and restoration of the historic Dallas City Hall, an architectural landmark of national significance.

Media Contacts:

Scott Griggs, scott@griggslaw.com, 214-653-2400

Chris Bowers, chris@susterlaw.com, 469-718-9403