Meridian City Hall

Before the current city hall was built in 1915, the city government operated out of a building built in 1885 and designed by Gustav Torgenson, the same architect that designed the Riley Center in 1889. Architects R.H. Hunt, C.L. Hutchisson, and P.J. Krouse competed for the chance to design the new city hall in March 1914. Krouse was chosen to design the building on April 15, 1914, The building was originally built in the Beaux Arts style. There were no major alterations to the building until the 1950s, when modern conveniences were added. Air conditioning was added to the building, necessitating drop ceilings to make room for the ducts, which obscured the original plaster moulding in the interior. Wood panelling was added to create more offices out of the large chambers present in the original design, and mahogany windows were replaced with aluminum ones. Windows on the ground floor were filled with concrete during the 1950s as well. City governments, believing they were making improvements to the building, actually harmed it or diminished its historical value. Terracotta tiles were painted over, which trapped moisture inside the tiles and caused parts of the building to rot. Scagliola columns were painted blue, wood and marble floors were covered with linoleum, and the grand staircase was replaced with an elevator. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1988. ==Restoration==

By 2003, some city workers had complained about faulty HVAC systems in the building. The city then hired consultants to repair the systems, but they found so many other problems with the building that the city decided to renovate the entire building. The city began planning the operation in 2005, and the first bonds to finance the renovation were sold in 2006. The renovation was split up into four phases: planning, selective demolition, exterior renovation, and interior renovation. The first phase took place in 2005 before construction began. Phase II began in 2006, Phase III began in 2007, and Phase IV began in 2009. During Phase III, the terracotta tiles on the exterior were methodically replaced, cross and jack sunscreens were returned to their original black shade, and the fountain constructed on the front lawn in the 1950s was replaced. The renovation was awarded the Masonry Construction Online Project of the Year Award for 2009. In September 2011, most electrical and mechanical systems had been installed, and only minor details on the inside of the building were missing. Several handrails and a few panes of glass had not yet been installed, as well as minor details such as paint and finish. Exterior landscaping was farther behind, partially because it was not part of the original plan laid out by former mayor John Robert Smith. and the first post-restoration meeting of the city council was held on February 21. Cost and Funding The original estimate of the cost was $7–8 million, which would be paid for by a single general obligation bond of $10 million that was also supposed to fund the construction of a new fire station and several smaller projects. By 2010, that estimate had more than doubled to $17 million. One reason for the increase was unforeseen necessary repairs, such as iron supports that had rusted to less than half their original size and a damaged drainage system. The building's listing on the National Register of Historic Places also increased cost. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) required that anything salvageable from the original building must be repaired and reused rather than replaced. The terracotta tiles on the outside of the building, if not salvaged, were required to be replaced with exact replicas, and only two companies in the world could make them. A second $10 million bond was acquired to pay for the remaining costs. Because of this wait, the completion date was moved back to Spring 2010. By March 2010, the scheduled completion date was February 2011. Another hiccup in the renovation process was a lawsuit filed by EverGreene Architectural Arts, one of the project's subcontractors, against Panola Construction, the general contractor, and B.B. Archer, the architect. Evergreene claimed that negligent and incompetent actions had led to cost increases and scheduling delays for both Evergreene and the city. Archer characterized Evergreene's work as "shoddy" and "falling apart." As a result of this controversy, the scheduled completion date was pushed back to May 23, 2011. As the September deadline approached, Mayor Barry stopped issuing new deadlines, and city officials began referring to the building as being "close to completion." ==After restoration==

speaking at the dedication ceremony on January 31, 2012 The restoration was completed in January 2012, and Cheri Barry announced the holding of an open house for the building on January 31. The open house included guest speakers such as former mayor Jimmy Kemp, state commissioner Dick Hall, and several members of the design team. The third floor originally housed an auditorium with a large stage and the Community Development department. The auditorium was rebuilt, though smaller in size than the original, and serves as a public space available to be rented for receptions and as the city council chambers. A kitchen for event catering was constructed beside the auditorium, and the floor also contains office space and a conference room. ==References==