Dallas County Commissioners divided on Sixth Floor Museum lease of office space

Tuesday, during Dallas County Commissioners Court, county leaders were at odds over a lease of The Sixth Floor Museum used for office space.

Located at Dealey Plaza, the Sixth Floor Museum is one of the most iconic tourist spots in Dallas. It's home to thousands of artifacts related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Dallas County owns the historic building on 411 Elm Street in Dallas. Back in 2022, the county stopped using the first five floors. At the same time, according to county information, the Dallas County Historical Foundation, the museum, was in need of a new place for office space.

The county and the museum agreed on a temporary lease while considering the facility for long-term use.

In Dec. 2024, the two-year lease expired, and commissioners voted to extend the contract by four months. That lease expired in April, which is why the museum asked for another four-month extension.

Some county leaders expressed a couple of concerns related to finances and future plans.

Currently, the museum pays a rent of $9,622 per month for the additional two floors. The museum also uses Parking Lot B for reserved parking and pays a fee of $8,267.00 a month.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said he wants the county to explore the market rate for downtown because the current rate for rent the museum is paying might be low.

"I'm not in favor of charging them a rate that they can't pay and having them move out, I am in favor of looking at what our museum consultant and property management consultants look at," said Jenkins.

Commissioner Andy Sommerman also echoed a similar standpoint, but added he wants more information from the museum about future plans. He's referring to an April Commissioner's Court meeting where the director for the museum gave a presentation.

"I would vote for a shockingly good rate for this museum, a shockingly good rate, if they would tell us what's going on the floors. I'm all about a museum, I think this is an excellent museum. I think it has excellent opportunities with an excellent chance to be able to show great exhibits in there," said Sommerman.

Commissioners John Wylie Price and Elba Garcia backed the request to extend the lease for four months.

It did not pass. After some discussion, Garcia pushed for a three-month extension, which failed as well.

"I believe that they are negotiating in good faith, Honestly, the uncertainty of the times and the fundraising is probably going to be something that is giving them pause, but nevertheless, I believe they always negotiated in good faith," said Garcia.

After the back-and-forth, the majority agreed on a two-month extension.

In an emailed statement, the Sixth Floor Museum said:

"We look forward to negotiating a long-term lease with Dallas County and are confident we can reach an agreement. As a nonprofit stewarding a nationally significant site, The Sixth Floor Museum is committed to continuing our partnership with the County to preserve the history of President Kennedy’s assassination and its impact on our nation for future generations."