Heard in the Hall

City Hall courtyard renovation underway

Philadelphia City Hall and political coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer City Hall bureau.

12 comments

City Hall courtyard renovation underway

POSTED: Monday, March 15, 2010, 12:38 PM

Patrick Kerkstra

REPOST from today's print edition:

The fourth and final phase of the 17-years-and-counting exterior renovation of City Hall has begun.

The exterior perimeter walls of the 1.2 million-square-foot goliath have been scrubbed clean and renovated. All that remains is the courtyard, a $12 million job slated to last two years.

Last week, the courtyard - which serves as a major pedestrian thoroughfare - was blocked to traffic as laborers prepped for the renovation.

The courtyard should be open again in about a week, with large wooden fences separating pedestrians from the scaffolding and renovation equipment, said Robert F. Murray, deputy commissioner of the city Public Property Department. "The fences are for public safety. They're going to leave the courtyard partially constricted, but there will be pathways for people to get through," he said.

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Comments (12)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:01 PM, 03/15/2010

Philadelphia City Hall is one of the most impressive structures in the United States. I have travelled the world and the States and find no other City Hall as impressive as that of Philadelphia City Hall.

— Agonza2000

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:32 PM, 03/15/2010

It is a great attraction for afficianados of Second Empire French architecture and urine.

— kirwooderby

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:49 PM, 03/15/2010

Hopefully they can get rid of the tacky chain-link fences with something more stately like rod-iron.

— NickFromGermantown

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:52 PM, 03/15/2010

Germantown Nick, I agree with you 100%. Those fences are like wearing a $5 tie with an Armani suit. It'd also be nice if they could replace that warped asphalt with concrete or paving stones.

— cygnus

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:54 PM, 03/15/2010

Couldn't agree with you more, Agonza2000. James: the renovations have been on-going for 17 years already, with the majority of the work already complete. I'm assuming you haven't seen City Hall in quite some time, because it hasn't looked this good for decades. I highly suggest paying a visit... the exterior looks amazing.

— The Pack Leader