City Hall
Tags:
Durand,
Stanley Roscoe
Architect:
Stanley Roscoe
Address: 71 Main Street West
Date Built: 1960
This eight story International style building was erected in 1960. It was designed by City Architect Stanley Roscoe.
This City Hall is a relatively new structure within the Durand Neighbourhood. Erected in 1960 to replace the historic James Street North location, this building was one of the first highrises constructed in the city (Wilson, 2010). The street number is a reference selected by the city councillors of the time to the number of years the previous city hall was in use (Wilson, 2007).
The original 1960 building underwent a $55 million renovation completed in 2010. At the time there were many members of the community concerned about both the cost and the preservation of the original design. One major change was the replacement of the marble exterior with precast concrete, a cost saving measure that resulted in greater durability without severely affecting the overall design of the building (Hume, 2011).
The council chambers are located on the second floor, overlooking Main Street. There have recently been concerns raised regarding the accessibility of the building and the chambers themselves which city council is currently addressing to ensure all citizens can participate in their local government (Werner, 2012).
By: Ashleigh Patterson & Geoff Rose
Footsteps In Time Volume 1
Bill Manson
Footsteps In Time collects information about the history of Hamilton's downtown neighbourhoods, arranged in walking tours.
