Attorneys with the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition have sued the city of Dallas over the condition of the building which they say is experiencing "demolition by neglect." The group demands mandatory inspections and repairs.
The suit comes after the expiration of a 60-day notice sent by the Coalition on May 12 and another notice on July 22, which put the city on notice to initiate mandatory inspections following a formal demolition-by-neglect request.
“The City expects private citizens to maintain their properties, but refuses to take responsibility for maintaining our historic City Hall and Plaza,” Bruce Richardson, President of the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition, said in a statement on Wednesday.
KERA reached out to the city for comment. A city spokesperson told KERA that, due to pending litigation, Dallas had no comment.
Allegations in the lawsuit include:
● Demolition by Neglect
● Failure to Perform Mandatory Investigation Duties: The lawsuit alleges HPO Marcus Watson failed to conduct a comprehensive technical inspection, identify repair funding, and prepare a stabilization report for the Landmark Commission.
● Abuse of City Property
● Breach of Fiduciary Duty: The Coalition alleges city officials breached their fiduciary duties by letting remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the General Fund "sit idle."
● Failure to Complete Historic Landmark Designation: "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 pre-designation moratorium expire on March 3, 2027."
This is a developing story and may be updated with more information.
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