Gulfport City Hall is Open But Boarded Up For Repairs

by Keith Burton - GCN 9/14/08

At first glance, Gulfport's busy City Hall looks closed, but it is open. Wooden boards cover the windows but they are there to protect the building as contractors expand the repairs to the historic building's exterior.

Roofing contractors have recently given the building a badly needed new roof and are now working to replace the damaged cornice that surround the building. The work is going slowly but it is revealing some interesting details about the building. The rafters that support the roof as well as the brick, which have been hidden by the facia can be seen.

Katrina badly damaged the roof of what is clearly one of the most-used of city buildings. Work on the repairs only started a little over a month ago and since Katrina, the building has had major roof leaks, staining the ceiling in the City Hall Council Chambers and elsewhere.

Money for the repairs is coming in part from FEMA.

FEMA has obligated over $190 million for repairs in Gulfport. That money though includes funds for other projects besides City Hall, such as for Jones Park and Gulfport Harbor.

Contractors will also be remodeling the interior, which reportedly includes a much larger Mayor's office complete with its own restroom. The only restrooms currently available for the mayor are those also available to the public off the main entrance hall.

Work on the repairs is not expected to be be completed within the current term of Mayor Brent Warr. City elections are next year.

But as the work progresses, some City Hall functions will be transferred to other city buildings. Details on those moves have not been announced.

The current look of the boarded-up City Hall closely resembles many of the structures nearby, which are also boarded up or need repairs. While the area near the Hancock Bank tower two blocks from City Hall is seeing some improvements, the buildings within a block of City Hall still have that bombed-out look from Katrina as can be seen from the photos below.