1 week Ago
DALLAS — Dallas city council members say the city may need to sell an office tower it purchased for the planning and development department, but that has languished unoccupied after an "embarrassing" permitting issue. Dallas bought the building near the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and the Stemmons Freeway in 2023, envisioning it as a "one-stop shop" for developers seeking services at the city's much-maligned permitting department. The city spent more than $14 million to buy the office tower and an additional $6.
5 million for improvements, furniture and moving expenses. Inspectors and permitting staff began transitioning to the building in December 2023, until the city learned it did not have the proper certificates of occupancy. City staff were ordered out of the building on April 9 last year.
It's still vacant a year later. "Obviously there were mistakes made," said Council Member Cara Mendelsohn, whose Committee on General Investigating & Ethics opened an inquiry into the building. "It’s probably time for the public to understand what’s happening with that building as well.
" The city communications office did not respond to WFAA's questions about how much any repairs or the ongoing security and fire watch at the building have cost taxpayers. Mendelsohn said she is still waiting on some requested information her committee has requested. "I think we’ve learned from our mistake, and to move forward we need to get rid of that building," Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins said.
"We've got to go forward." Council has met behind closed doors multiple times to talk about the property, but details about potentially selling it have not been released. "If I look at the numbers, find out we can sell the building and get our money back, great deal for the city!" Atkins said.
Shortly after the closure, city staff performed a walkthrough and told Council members it would require an additional $7.8 million for repairs to the building immediately, with another $9 million to be put in down the line. In May, city staff told council members "success is occupancy by Fall 2024.
" On Wednesday, only two vehicles were parked in the parking lot — and staff had no plan published to move in..
