As the city of Dallas prepares options to either relocate its city hall or repair the current site designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, one group in support of staying has lawyered up.
Four attorneys with the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition filed a notice last week that warns the city they are prepared to take legal action if the City Hall Plaza is sold for commercial use.
The notice was issued two days after the coalition issued its first notice demanding the city begin repair for City Hall to avoid violating other ordinances against demolition by neglect, abuse of city property, and breaches of fiduciary duties. Dallas City Council are expected to review and discuss that letter during Wednesday鈥檚 closed session.
The Save Dallas City Hall Coalition cited two state laws that could be violated without voter approval:
City Hall Plaza is included in the Downtown Parks Master Plan published in 2014.
: Prohibits the sale of any public square or park unless approved by a majority of Dallas voters at an election.
: Bars the use or taking of public parkland unless the city proves there is no feasible alternative, minimizes harm, and holds formal public hearings.
鈥淐ity Hall Plaza is not a commercial real estate commodity,鈥� Chris Bowers, an attorney and spokesperson for the Coalition, said in a statement. 鈥淚t is a voter-funded public park and the preeminent public square for community assembly in Dallas.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Megan Cardona at mcardona@kera.org.
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider . Thank you!
