DALLAS — A grassroots effort backed by prominent donors and civic leaders has announced a citizen petition drive to put the future of Dallas City Hall before city voters in May.
Citizens to decide on landmark's fate
The group calling itself Save Dallas City Hall said Thursday it will file a notice of intent with the city secretary on Oct. 2 and aims to collect 20,000 signatures in 60 days to qualify the measure for the ballot. Organizers published poll results they said show broad voter support for preserving the building: their survey of registered voters found 84% favor keeping the current city hall.
Speakers at the announcement included elected officials, members of prominent local families and architectural voices connected to the building's design. The campaign says it has attracted financial backing from notable donors, including attorney Ben Abbott, the granddaughter of philanthropist Margaret McDermott, and descendants of former Mayor Erik Jonsson.
Why supporters are mobilizing
Supporters framed the push as an appeal to direct democracy and a defense of a civic landmark. Dallas City Councilman Adam Bazaldua, who took part in the announcement, said the petition effort is a fundamental democratic step.
"You don’t abandon the people’s house over a padded estimate and blank page. Today we announce the most important democratic step there is to take. We are going to ask the people," said Councilman Adam Bazaldua.
Leiane Pei, daughter of famed architect I.M. Pei, traveled from New York to join the event. She stressed her father's connection to Dallas and his intent for the building and plaza to remain public spaces.
"I can't even imagine how it would be possible to destroy this building. It’s a crazy idea, frankly," Pei said. "The cost to take it down would be astronomical. And I think that the people should not have to pay the bill for that when they’ve already paid, if this is already a paid-off asset, if you will. And this is not even mentioning the cost of trying to find a new space. I think it would be hard to find a beautiful open plaza such as this, which is what is critical for city hall."
Organizing plan and questions ahead
Save Dallas City Hall said it has done research to support its effort and set out a tight timeline: file a notice of intent on Oct. 2, then gather the required signatures within 60 days. The group’s public polling showing 84% support will likely figure in its outreach, but the campaign faces the logistical task of meeting the 20,000-signature threshold in the time allotted.
- Filing date with city secretary: Oct. 2
- Signature goal: 20,000
- Collection period: 60 days after filing
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Goal signatures | 20,000 |
| Collection window | 60 days |
| Planned filing | Oct. 2 |
Organizers also highlighted support from architectural voices who argue the building was designed to endure. According to the announcement, Leiane Pei said her father’s design could withstand what she described as intentional neglect by current leaders and that demolishing the structure would be prohibitively expensive.
The campaign adds a new layer to ongoing discussions about the building’s condition, future use and potential costs to taxpayers. Advocates framed the petition as a remedy to what they called insufficient or incomplete proposals for City Hall's future, asking voters to weigh in directly.
City residents should expect further public debate as the petition drive moves into signature collection. If organizers meet the threshold and submit the valid signatures, Dallas voters would see the measure on the May ballot, giving the electorate a direct voice on a civic landmark that has drawn attention from local leaders, donors and architectural stewards.
WE NEWS will continue to follow developments, including the official filing, the progress of signature collection and any responses from city officials or oppositional groups.
