Dallas officials arranged private City Hall site tours for select council members

Emails show behind-the-scenes planning as Dallas weighs the future of its aging City Hall and possible relocation

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Internal emails reviewed by The Dallas Morning News show city leaders and consultants began discussing in December how and when to invite 'a few' council members for private tours of up to four potential City Hall sites, even though the locations were not disclosed to the broader council and public. The tours were arranged by the Dallas Economic Development Corp., which has been evaluating the building's condition and estimated repair costs. The process has fueled frustration among some council members who say they've been left out of key discussions about one of the city's most consequential decisions.

Why it matters

The debate over the future of Dallas' City Hall has become a politically charged issue, with business interests pushing for redevelopment of the downtown site and preservationists insisting the city should repair and keep the existing structure. The behind-the-scenes planning for the private council member tours highlights concerns about transparency and equal access in the decision-making process.

The details

The emails show planning among Dallas Economic Development Corp. CEO Linda McMahon, CBRE executive Peter Jansen, and City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert for visits to buildings that could house a new municipal complex or operations. Jansen recommended the tours be handled carefully to avoid giving certain properties or officials an advantage in negotiations. McMahon emphasized it was important that council members tour all of the properties the consultants did, saying 'If any property is left out of the tours — the others will know.'

  • In December 2025, city leaders began discussing how and when to invite 'a few' council members for the site tours.
  • The tours were planned to take place in January 2026 if at all possible.
  • On January 20, 2026, McMahon emailed Tolbert to discuss the council member tours and an upcoming council presentation.

The players

Linda McMahon

CEO of the Dallas Economic Development Corp., the group that has been evaluating the condition of City Hall and estimated repair costs.

Peter Jansen

An executive with commercial real estate firm CBRE who was involved in the planning for the council member site tours.

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert

The Dallas City Manager who was part of the discussions around arranging the council member tours.

Cara Mendelsohn

A Dallas City Council member who complained about being left out of key discussions about the future of City Hall.

Shawn Todd

A developer who has called for demolishing City Hall for redevelopment and was listed as an adviser for the Dallas Economic Development Corp.

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What they’re saying

“What we want to avoid is negotiating [between] options that have received tours and options that have not received tours.”

— Peter Jansen, CBRE executive (The Dallas Morning News)

“Otherwise it would damage the leverage that CBRE feels they need in negotiations with the short list properties. If any property is left out of the tours — the others will know.”

— Linda McMahon, CEO, Dallas Economic Development Corp. (The Dallas Morning News)

“Providing substantive briefings to a subset of councilmembers while withholding the same information from others who request it raises concerns regarding equal access, transparency, and the integrity of the council's deliberative process.”

— Cara Mendelsohn, Dallas City Council member (The Dallas Morning News)

What’s next

The Dallas City Council is expected to continue debating the future of City Hall, including whether to repair the aging building or relocate government operations to a new location.

The takeaway

The behind-the-scenes planning for private council member tours of potential City Hall sites highlights concerns about transparency and equal access in the decision-making process around one of Dallas' most consequential civic decisions in recent memory.