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Saturday, February 8, 2025

Renovations Planned for Schenectady City Hall Clock Tower

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SCHENECTADY‌ — Exciting news for​ Schenectady‍ residents! The iconic City Hall clock tower is scheduled for a comprehensive​ restoration in the upcoming spring.

The city‌ is gearing up to revamp the legendary gold-domed ⁢structure, which was severely damaged in a ⁤fire in⁤ 1983 and later​ reconstructed.

The City Council is expected to approve a budget of $508,000 for the clock tower’s renovations during ​its meeting on Monday.‌ The​ plan includes replacing ⁢some of the wooden parts ⁣of the structure, ⁤repainting, and recoating the gold dome.

Earlier ⁣this⁤ summer, the ‍city invited bids for the project. Mid-State⁤ Industries of Schenectady⁤ was chosen ‌to carry out the refurbishment of the tower, originally built in 1931 ⁢and restored ⁣after the devastating 1983 fire.

City Engineer Chris‌ Wallin, during a recent City ‌Development and Planning meeting, emphasized the need for extensive renovations to the clock tower.

The ‍white paint on the wood-framed clock tower is visibly chipped and peeling in several areas.

“A significant amount of the wood,​ particularly in the decorative elements, is rotten,” Wallin ⁣explained. “The paint is peeling off. We plan ⁢to repaint, ​but we‌ don’t ​want to ⁢paint over damaged wood. We also plan to recoat⁣ the dome in gold and replace the clock⁣ faces. At present, they’re a bit loose and showing ⁢different times.‌ Essentially, we’re looking at⁤ a complete overhaul of the ‍clock tower.”

The funds for this⁢ project⁣ will be sourced from the city’s⁢ capital budget allocated for facility repairs.

Wallin clarified that the‌ restoration work on the clock tower will not commence‍ until next⁢ spring.

“Setting up the scaffolding alone ⁢will take a month,” Wallin informed the council. “Once the scaffolding is in place, we’d be dealing with unfavorable weather conditions [this year]. So, we thought it would‍ be best to complete the work in​ the spring. The scaffolding⁤ setup ⁢will be quite intricate.”

In 2009, the city had​ repainted the gold dome and ‌replaced balusters⁣ on the tower. A decorative urn that had fallen off was also replaced on‍ the structure.

Mayor⁣ Gary McCarthy ​expressed that the clock tower will⁤ retain its ⁣familiar look but will appear rejuvenated once the latest restoration work‌ is finished ​next year.

“It’ll look ⁣just the way it ⁣is today, only it’ll be in good shape,” McCarthy ⁤said on Wednesday.

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Emily Stanton
Emily Stanton
Emily Stanton, a skillful journalist previously based in Boston, is adept at covering a diverse array of stories. Her thorough and engaging reporting style, honed with a Master's in Journalism from Boston University, focuses on community-relevant stories.
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