New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-01
CHANGES IN THE CITY HALL.
THE WORK OF REPAIRING THE DAMA"H
BY FIRE NOT YET BEGUN

CONTRACTS SOON TO BE MAIDSTONE TENANTS
TO MOVE OUTFLOW OFFICIALS HAVE SHIFTED
THEIR QUARTERS FROM TIME TO TIME
Tho summer vacaton IL nearly over. but noth-
ing has been done yet toward repairing the ud'''
age done BY the fire which destroyed the ,o"e,
Of the Brooklyn City Hall on February 20 vi
course the immediate effects OF the hre anu TIC
great quantity of water thrown upon IL were ,e'
moved long ago and temporary rooi io' '"e
building was provided When II was oec'"e" ~
restore the tower and make extensive ai'eia'o"'
In the building II was the expectation 'ha' 'e
work would be got under way early anu '"e
greater part Of It completed In the course Vi TIC
summer when the smallest amount OF business
was going on and the least inconvenience 10 'ne
occupants of the hall would De occaS'o"e''
Various delays have occurred, however but '"e
plans have now been completed and the specinc"-
tions are being drawn and 1t Is expected that
proposals for the work will be invited WITHIN
few days But several weeks must eapse oetore
the contract is made, and 1t VIII De wei ii'o 'e
fall before work is begun.
The plan is to build tower similar to the one
destroyed, in which. of course, clock VIII ne
nlaced and 10 make numerous changes In the
upper part OF the building as to provide more
room for Offices The living apartments &C.
cupied by the assistant keeper OF the city HAN
on the third floor will no longer be retained. AN
elevator will be among the Improvements intro
! duced and will be a great convenience
During the work on the building some OF the
tenants will vacate it temporarily, ana IN at ieaS'
one case 1t Is the intention to make permanent
removal Reference is made to the courtroom on
the second floor occupied by Justice Neu New
quarters will be found for him elsewhere, and the
courtroom will be divided so as to furnish ofnces
on two floors. It Is probable that this part OF
! the building will be assigned TO the Corporation
! Counsel whose offices now in two parts OF the
! second floor Of the building. Arrangements nave
already been made for temporary offices for the
! Corporation Counsel IN building convenient TO
the City Hail.
ALDERMEN INCONVENIENCED.
AS the ceiling of the Common Council chamber
at the western end Of the hall is to be replaced
with a nreprcof ceiling, that room will be out Oh
commission for some tine and the Aldermen
will be compelled to meet In some other place
Possibly the meeting room Of the Board OF Ed
ucation will be found available for this purpose.
| 1t is a question whether the Mayor. the Con-
troer and other officials on the first floor Of the
/ hall will be able to use their offices during the
repairs though probably they Will not be dis
/ turbed to any serious extent by the Disc and
! confusion. On this floor, by-the-way, there nave
been some notable changes within the last Few
years The most important Of these was the
/ partial exchange Of Offices by the Controller ana
/ City Auditor. by which the FINANCE Department
! secured considerable additional room. The Con-
troers department is now mainly on the soutn
| side Of the building. while the Auditor has his
offices on the north side. All these apartments
/ are handsomely fitted up AMI furnished.
The room now used by the Civil Service Com
mission on this floor formerly the office Of
! the Park Department, which also at che time han
rf,at,, hon he
Service Commission was first organized, its head
/ quarters were in the small room now used by the
Mayor chief clerk. Previously that room nad
been set APART as the Mayors private office, but
| in Mayor Lows time the room now Used as the
Mayors private Office taken from the CITY
/ Treasurer, who moved into the next apart
/ ment, formerly occupied by the City Clerk
OUTSIDE TENANTS.
The basement story OF the building is entirely
above ground, but is not considered desirable for
offices on account Of the dampness prevailing
there. The only city department housed there Is
the Department Of Buildings. which will go up TO
the third floor in the remodeed building. There
are several rooms in this part Of the building
used as headquarters for semi-private Organiza-
tons The 14th Regiment War Veterans Assoc
alton has been tenant OF the City Hall FOR
nearly fifteen years the MenN-ial Committee or
! the Grand Army Of the Republic has had a room
here since October. 1882 and the Volunteer Fire
! mems Association secured permission TO make its
J
! these assignments were made by the Board Of
| Aldermen. and the permission granted Is sup
posed to be revocable at any time by the same
! authority should need for these rooms for public
purposes arise. In view OF the additional space
| to be had in the upper part Of the building when
the changes are made ii is not probable that
these tenants will be disturbed. At any rate
possession will be several points I'm their favor
Assistant Keeper Frank W. Weeks, who has
lived in the City Hall for seventeen years has
secured rooms elsewhere and will soon move out
His rent is to be paid out of the contingent fund
! Of the Common Council He is firmly OF the
opinion that IL will be mistake not to have
some one living in the building. He says that
large numbers Of persons in search OF informa-
ton find their way TO his rooms after the offices
/ downstairs are closed and that many people will
complain If they come to the City Hall and find
| It locked and bolted. The custom now is TO keep
| II open nearly every night TIL IL o'clock. Mr.
Weeks feels that If a standppe had been
placed in the building with hose he could easily
| have got the fire last February under control
! and prevented the damage that ensued