PILLAR: Sustainable
AGENDA DATE: April 22, 2026
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): 14
DEPARTMENT: Office of Bond and Construction Management
PRIORITY: Infrastructure
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SUBJECT
Title
Authorized the Seventh Amendment to the Use Agreement (“Seventh Amendment”) between the City of Dallas and the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) to enable the parties to undertake planning, design, construction, renovation, repair, replacement, and/or improvements to the DMA as further described in the Seventh Amendment - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
*In alignment with Bond Implementation Program.
Body
BACKGROUND
The City of Dallas and the DMA have been parties to a Use Agreement since 1972 governing the operation of the Art Museum, located at 1717 North Harwood Street. Over the years, City Council has approved six amendments addressing relocations, expansions, liability and insurance updates, and extensions of the agreement’s term.
In May 2024, Dallas voters approved Proposition E of the 2024 General Obligation Bond Program, which allocated $20,014,619.00 to the City for improvements to the DMA. The Seventh Amendment is intended to allow the City and the DMA to undertake planning, design, construction, renovation, repair, replacement, and improvements to the Art Museum utilizing these bond funds, with much of the work anticipated to be consolidated under a single construction contract to increase efficiency.
Under this amendment, the DMA will contribute design and project management services at its sole cost and expense to support the development of the design documents for the 2024 Bond Program DMA Project(s). The City will continue to procure the construction contractor(s) for the bond-funded work, and once the City accepts the design documents, may assign certain project management duties to the DMA in order to streamline coordination on a highly specialized and active museum site. In this role, the DMA will manage day-to-day project coordination without charging a management fee, while the City maintains overall contract authority and procurement oversight. The DMA’s representative will also participate in the City’s public solicitation process, further strengthening coordination between the two organizations.
This collaboration ensures that construction activities within an operating art museum are carried out with appropriate attention to collection preservation, visitor access, operational continuity, and conservation and security requirements. The amendment also stipulates that the DMA will be responsible for any cost overruns not approved through the City’s standard processes.
Overall, the Seventh Amendment strengthens the long-standing partnership between the City and the DMA by combining public bond funding with DMA investment and technical expertise to deliver necessary improvements to the City-owned Art Museum in an efficient and coordinated manner.
This resolution authorizes a Seventh Amendment between the City and the DMA to undertake planning, design, construction, renovation, repair, replacement, and/or improvements to the DMA utilizing 2024 bond funds, as recommended by the Office of Bond and Construction Management and listed and described on Attachment I.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
On September 12, 1984, the City Council authorized the First Amendment to the Use Agreement in connection with the relocation of the Art Museum to its present location, pursuant to which the Parties agreed that the City held and would continue to hold title to the Art Museum land and buildings by Resolution No. 84-2917.
On October 10, 1990, the City Council authorized the Second Amendment to the Use Agreement to provide for the development of an expansion to the Art Museum in the form of the Hamon Building, for which the DMA privately raised over $30.2 million by Resolution No. 90-3227.
On April 27, 2011, the City Council authorized the Third Amendment to the Use Agreement to extend the term of the Use Agreement and update liability and insurance requirements by Resolution No. 11-1117.
On January 13, 2021, the City Council authorized the Fourth Amendment to the Use Agreement to extend the term of the Use Agreement by Resolution No. 21-0135.
On April 26, 2023, the City Council authorized the Fifth Amendment to the Use Agreement to extend the term of the Use Agreement by Resolution No. 23-0565.
On February 14, 2024, the City Council authorized ordering a May 2024 Bond Election to fund a variety of capital improvement projects citywide by Resolution No. 24-0280; and Ordinance No. 32491.
On May 15, 2024, the City Council approved and adopted the canvassing committee’s Bond Election, certifying the election results and declaring that a majority of voters supported all bond propositions, by Resolution No. 24-0695; and Ordinance No. 32658.
On March 26, 2025, the City Council authorized the Sixth Amendment to the Use Agreement to extend the term of the Use Agreement to September 30, 2027, by Resolution No. 25-0465.
The Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee was briefed on the Seventh Amendment to the Use Agreement to enable the parties to undertake planning, design, construction, renovation, repair, replacement, and/or improvements to the DMA as further described in the Seventh Amendment on April 20, 2026.
FISCAL INFORMATION
No cost consideration to the City.
OWNER/EXECUTIVE
Dallas Museum of Art
Brian Ferriso, The Eugene McDermott Director
MAP
Attached