New Design for Lorain City Hall – July 22, 1971

Fifty years ago this month, Lorain was in the process of reviewing the design and cost of its brand new City Hall, which would replace the aging yellow mansion that had been in use since the early 1900s.

Below is an article that appeared in the Journal back on July 22, 1971. The Journal’s J. Ross Baughman created the sketch of the building.

In the article, Architect Warren Finkel explains the various steps being taken to bring the cost down to  about $5 million (from the original $8.7 million). Cost-cutting measures being proposed include the elimination of underground parking and reduced space for various departments.

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I was never a big fan of the current City Hall. Why? I guess it’s because I always thought that it was simply too big, and too pretentious, especially in view of what had been serving as city hall for decades (at right). The current City Hall just doesn’t have any heart, in my opinion. Plus, it wiped out a whole city block’s worth of businesses, stealing much of the character of Downtown Lorain.

And if you think about it, the city began its slow slide into decline within a few years of the new City Hall’s completion. Coincidence? I think not.

I think the current proposal about possibly moving to a new city hall somewhere else in the city is a good idea. Perhaps if it becomes a reality and the current City Hall is demolished, some demons would be exorcised and the city can begin a new path towards a rosier economic future.

Yessir, a demolition brick from a demolished Lorain City Hall would make a mighty fine addition to my collection.

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The old Lorain City Hall has been a recurring topic on this blog since the beginning.