Heavy rain on Tuesday has apparently led to the temporary shuttering of the Dallas Municipal Court building for at least a week, with city officials disclosing that every floor of the property was impacted by water damage.
Early Wednesday morning, the city announced that the court would be closed for the day due to “substantial water damage to the building.” Several hours later, an update went out that said the building would be closed until at least next Wednesday, July 16, and that hearings and trials related to code violations, traffic tickets, and minor criminal cases would be rescheduled.
Those who need in-person services from the court clerk (payments, court date scheduling, etc.) will have to go to the Dallas Marshal’s Office at 1600 Chestnut St., where court staff will be available Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
“Facilities and Real Estate Management (FRM) and a damage restoration vendor are on-site cleaning, removing water, and protecting undamaged computers and courtroom equipment,” the city said. “During this time, FRM will assess and review all damage throughout the building and restore it to working standards.”
Tuesday evening’s storms resulted in flash flooding, flight cancellations at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and even some water rescues.
Commercial buildings can be vulnerable to damage from heavy rain in a number of ways ranging from already-existing roof damage to unmaintained gutters to groundwater flooding. Routine inspections and maintenance to ensure protection against water infiltration (think unclogging gutters and downspouts, foundation sealing, checking storm drains for blockage, and identifying and repairing roof damage) is critical to avoiding significant damage from heavy rain.
With nowhere near the necessary taxpayer spending budgeted for repairs and maintenance, Dallas officials have been struggling to maintain the city’s facilities, which include more than 500 properties with an average age of 47 years and an overall valuation of roughly $1.5 billion.
CandysDirt.com reached out to the city and asked whether any maintenance issues contributed to the water damage sustained by the building.
“The City has been in the process of replacing the roof, and we are assessing the cause of the water intrusion,” a city communications official told CandysDirt.com. “We have no additional details at this time.”
Located at 2014 Main St., the Dallas Municipal Court building spans 106,000 square feet across five floors. It was originally built in 1956 as an annex to the adjacent and more-historic Dallas Municipal Building. It also served as City Hall until 1500 Marilla St. was completed a couple of decades later. The property’s underground garage is famous for being where mob associate Jack Ruby fatally shot JFK-assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963.
The building’s interior has since been completely rehabilitated. Officials retained the property’s travertine floors, marble veneered and hardwood paneled walls, and other aspects emblematic of 1950s courthouse architectural design. In 2014, it received the Preservation Dallas Achievement Award.
