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Dallas, TX
Dallas mayor calls City Hall debate ‘silly games,’ defends review of options
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson pushed back Sunday against friction over City Hall’s future as “silly games” meant to “muddy the waters,” saying exploring relocation options is routine due diligence, not a backroom scheme.
In his weekly newsletter, Johnson outlined his most detailed case yet for studying whether Dallas should move City Hall, saying speculation and sensational coverage have distorted the debate.
“Those who are more interested in muddying the waters than dealing in facts are working overtime, trying to make normal stuff sound nefarious,” Johnson said.
The mayor said the core issue is simple: the I.M. Pei-designed City Hall is aging, expensive to maintain and ill-suited for modern government operations.
“Dallas City Hall isn’t in good shape,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t meet the needs of a modern big-city government — or, really, of any modern workplace.”
He said the building’s design anchors a government district that leaves a large stretch of downtown inactive after business hours.
Why now?
Broader changes in Dallas’ urban core make it the right moment to reconsider the city’s headquarters, Johnson said, pointing to:
- Redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
- The rise of the city’s financial district, dubbed “Y’all Street.”
- The expected departure of AT&T’s downtown headquarters in the coming years.
“This city is at an inflection point,” Johnson wrote. “It’s the right time to ask what kind of urban core Dallas wants to have in the coming decades and then start building it.”
He said that’s why he sided with the majority of the City Council in a recent 9-6 vote directing city staff to explore options, including repairing the building or relocating City Hall.
Johnson said that is a common step to gather information before any major decision is made.
Consultants estimate fully modernizing the current building could cost more than $1 billion over 20 years. Less expensive repairs alone may not produce a more effective workplace, he said.
“You can’t consider the viability of any one option in a vacuum without knowing what your other options are,” he said.
Downtown boost
As he has before, Johnson said redeveloping the City Hall site could increase the city’s tax base and spur development in a largely quiet part of downtown.
He said Dallas has moved its city government headquarters several times in the past and cited other civic projects, such as Klyde Warren Park and the American Airlines Center, that helped reshape Uptown and Victory Park.
Johnson also took issue with news coverage highlighting “5,000 pages of emails,” saying standard city procedures have been portrayed as suspicious. Instead of “tabloid-style articles about boogeymen,” Johnson wrote, “you deserve straight talk and clarity.”
The Dallas Morning News, after reviewing the internal messages, reported last week that city officials and outside advisers discussed relocation scenarios and took a few council members on site tours that had not been publicly announced.
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Johnson said consultants and city officials involved in evaluating City Hall — including AECOM, CBRE, the Dallas Economic Development Corp. and the city manager’s office — are carrying out the council’s direction to review options.
Criticism of their work reflects political disagreements, he said, not flaws in the process.
Arena speculation
Opponents of a possible City Hall move have said the push is tied to finding a new home for the Dallas Mavericks.
Johnson rejected that. “The team wants a new arena. That has never been a secret,” he wrote.
He said no formal proposal for an arena at the City Hall site has been presented to the council. That echoed what Mavs CEO Rick Welts told The News in a recent interview.
“There’s no basis to characterize an entirely unknown, and as yet hypothetical, deal as a ‘giveaway,’” Johnson said.
He chided some relocation opponents who wanted an outside assessment of City Hall’s condition but are now attacking its findings.
“It is ironic that some of the same voices who most loudly demanded an outside facility condition assessment are now the loudest critics of the result,” Johnson wrote.
He called for a focus on long-term planning. “It’s time to put aside the pettiness,” he said, “and start talking about a real vision for this city’s future.”
Video: Here’s 5 bold predictions for the Patriots in the 2026 Season
The New England Patriots enter the 2026 NFL season with big expectations after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in last season’s Super Bowl.
George Pickens hasn’t been in the news for a week now, so something had to break and it came in the form of a Cowboy legend giving him advice on how to handle his contract situation.
There is also speculation that this year will be his last with the Dallas Cowboys and the last year in the silver and blue for a former Texas Longhorn linebacker. CeeDee Lamb and coach Brian Schottenheimer are also in the news, or what passes for it in late May in the NFL.
Here are some Cowboys headlines.
George Pickens, Emmitt Smith
The NFL’s all-time rushing leader and Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith went on to the NFL Network’s The Insiders show and shared his opinions about George Pickens’ situation. Pickens’ contract status has been a major storyline this offseason and he is now set to play on a one-year franchise tag.
Indications are he wasn’t a long-term contract (as anyone would), but Jerry Jones has not opened negotiations on this. Smith’s advice to Pickens is something Cowboy fans hope Pickens follows.
Smith said: “I would say to George Pickens right now, you just ran into the business side of sports, period. There’s nothing else but pure business. Try not to take it personally. I know you will, because I would take it personally too, but shuffle that energy to your performance because I think your performance itself is going to speak a lot louder than anything else.”
Meanwhile, the blog Inside the Star predicts Pickens, as well as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, will not be with the team in 2027.
Of Pickens, Mark Heaney writes, “We’ve seen the front office be unwilling to even negotiate a long-term deal, likely due to the issue of paying two wide receivers at the top of the market. In theory, the Cowboys could franchise tag him again next offseason, but consecutive tags mean a 120% increase from the previous year’s salary; that’s unsustainable for the organization. Instead, I think we see him dealt for some compensation ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.“
DeMarvion Overshown
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, a Texas Longhorns product, has tantalized Cowboys fans when he’s been healthy, but that hasn’t been much. He missed all of his rookie year in 2023 with a blown-out knee, which came after several strong preseason games.
He blew out his knee again late in the 2024 season, which caused him to miss the first half of the 2025 season.
Mark Heaney of the blog Inside the Star predicts that this coming season, one way or another, will be Overshown’s last in Dallas.
He writes: “The other guy, DeMarvion Overshown, is a genuine fan favorite, and it is easy to understand why. Former Texas Longhorn, electric, high-energy player when healthy, true team leader. That all resonates with the Dallas faithful in a significant way, but it doesn’t change the facts around his situation, especially when it comes to health.
”Overshown has had major struggles with staying on the field, and if he comes asking for a big bag in 2027 after more issues this year, Dallas will say no.
”On the flip side, his elite potential could result in a huge year that, similarly to Pickens, prices Dallas out from extending him to a long-term deal. The addition of Jaishawn Barham in the draft adds another layer to it, as he should be able to replace Overshown next year.”
CeeDee Lamb
Last week new New York Giants coach John Harbaugh, took a shot at the Dallas Cowboys at New York’s town hall event, saying, “All I care about is tomorrow’s practice, because if tomorrow’s practice is the way it’s supposed to be, that will be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys’ ass.”
Evidently mocking Harbaugh fell to receiver CeeDee Lamb, who went on Instagram to post a rather understated, “lol that’s cute.”
This being May, that was enough to grab some headlines and get his name back in the news.
Dallas Cowboys coach
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will enter his second year as head coach, marking his fifth year with the club. He is now looking to sell his McKinney home for $3.8 million in order to move closer to the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco (McKinney is about a half-hour drive from Frisco).
“It really is just time being closer to work, and every minute counts, when you’re at that level, for him,” listing agent Carrie Himel told Neil Franklin of the Dallas Morning News.
For those interested, the house is listed at 5,700 square feet.
Dallas Cowboys tickets 2026
Seat Geek is the official partner of the Dallas Cowboys, so this is where to get official tickets. The Cowboys are also offering packages for the Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro against the Ravens, ranging from $1,200 to $5,750. That doesn’t include airfare, and the cheap rate doesn’t include a hotel.
Other places to buy tickets, which will be more expensive but with a much larger selection than the official tickets, include StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats. Those sites also offer tickets for away games.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
The Dallas Police Department is investigating the shooting deaths of three people at a party being held at a short-term rental on Tuesday morning.
The department posted a video update to social media hours after the incident occurred.
According to DPD, police responded to a shooting call in the 3700 Vilbig St. at around 12:28 a.m. The preliminary investigation found that four people had been shot at a party being hosted at a short-term rental.
Two of the victims died at the scene and one died at the hospital. The fourth victim is in stable condition. All of the victims are adults.
At this time, police have not made an arrest and are still carrying out a preliminary investigation. Police said there was not a threat to the general public, but a suspect had fled the scene.
As of Monday, there had been a total of 74 homicide offenses recorded by Dallas police in 2026. That includes seven justifiable homicide offenses, 55 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 12 negligent manslaughter offenses.
This time last year, the department had recorded 79 homicide offenses, including five justifiable homicides, 64 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 10 negligent manslaughter offenses.
Kurt: Even though he is Dallas’ only 2026 draft pick to not sign yet, Lawrence’s current contract situation isn’t having any impact on the team’s culture and what Schottenheimer is trying to do.
There are specific restrictions set within the Collective Bargaining Agreement on how much each rookie can make, based on his draft position. The higher the draft slot, the higher the paycheck. Seems simple, right? However, there are a few items that can be negotiated, such as guaranteed money.
Which is where the Cowboys and Lawrence stand right now, although they’re not alone. Around the league, 15 of the top 21 overall picks have signed, but none of the rookies selected lower in the first round (Nos. 22-32) have inked a deal. Even though they basically have no leverage, they’re all waiting to see how things play out. Once one signs on the dotted line, the other dominoes should quickly fall.
In the meantime, it’s been business as usual for the coaching staff and players. Lawrence has been attending all the workouts and meetings, as well as generally being around to soak up Schottenheimer’s culture.
In other words, Cowboys fans can move right along; there is nothing to see here.Kurt:
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