“Hey, Bungalower! I keep meaning to ask, do you know what’s happening with all of the scaffolding at City Hall? It’s been up forever. Is it a big renovation?”
– Z. Yildiz
Scaffolding and fencing have been in place in front of City Hall for roughly 8 months or so, according to the owner of City Beautiful Cafe (Website) — a cafe located in City Hall that serves breakfast and lunch, AJ Campofiore.
Campofiore shared with Bungalower (over a decadent Johnny Cali sandwich with basil pesto, avocado spread, bacon, and an Italian chicken cutlet on fresh ciabatta bread) that the scaffolding was erected by City staff shortly after a piece of facade fell off the front of the building and shattered on the pavement. Nobody was injured.
City Hall is fronted by a freestanding colonnade, crowned with a cement entablature or lintel that has been covered with a layer of marble or marble-like material, like a veneer on an office desk. Where the piece fell off, you can see some evidence of water damage and old adhesive that looks somewhat like Liquid Nails, tacked on with little dollops to hopefully keep the piece in place.
The City put scaffolding in place underneath the colonnade in strategic places where pedestrian traffic would pass underneath, at the major entrances and fenced off the rest. Unfortunately, it seems to be making it more difficult to enter the cafe. While I was there, several people turned around before entering, thinking it was closed.
According to the City’s Public Information Officer, an engineer will be coming by at the end of the week to assess the building and try to gauge the extent of the repair work needed. It was not clear if this was the first time they would be inspecting the facade or a follow-up inspection.
In the meantime, the scaffolding will remain in place, and visitors to the cafe will have to brave the mess out front.
