In the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s , Dallas underwent the building boom which produced a distinctive contemporary profile for the downtown area and a prominent skyline , influenced by nationally acclaimed architects . By the 1980s , when the oil industry mostly relocated to Houston , Dallas was beginning to benefit from a burgeoning technology boom ( driven by the growing computer and telecom industries ) , while continuing to be a center of banking and business . In 1983 , voters in Dallas and area cities approved the creation of Dallas Area Rapid Transit to replace the Dallas Transit System . Dallas annexed Audelia in 1981 , and Renner in 1983 . In 1984 , the Dallas Museum of Art moved from Fair Park as one of the first buildings in downtown 's Arts District . Also in 1984 , the Republican National Convention was held in Dallas . In 1985 , at the peak of the real estate boom , the 72-story Bank of America Plaza ( then InterFirst Plaza ) opened as the tallest building in Dallas . From the mid-to-late 1980s , many banks , especially in Dallas , collapsed during the Savings and Loan crisis , nearly destroying the city 's economy and scrapping plans for hundreds of structures
Republican National Convention
1984 Republican National Convention
History of Dallas