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Milwaukee City Hall: Restoring Our Past for a Stronger Future

Union bricklayers, carpenters, roofers, electricians, laborers and many other trades workers have been hard at work restoring Milwaukee City Hall since the summer of 2005. The building was erected over 100 years ago to serve as the center of government for the City of Milwaukee, and is now in the hands of union trades workers to restore it to its 19th century grandeur.

Terry Watson, project manager for J.P. Cullen & Sons, is quick to credit the unions for making the entire project possible, as well as keeping it on time. “The unions have experience with the height this restoration requires,” Watson said. “They've been exposed to scaffolding, harnesses and other equipment that goes into working on a building this large and tall.”

The project goes much deeper than the scaffolding suggests, with the crew replacing gutters, windows, dormers, slate shingles, copper and gables once the building was given a detailed inspection before scheduled work had even begun. All were elements that the original scope of work didn't include.

The purpose of the project is to stay true to the historical integrity of the building, while making it safer and able to withstand another 100 years. As of September 2007, over 250,000 bricks, 12,000 terra cotta pieces and 50 percent of the steel were replaced. To the untrained eye, the replaced materials will not be noticeable from any vantage point – a skill the union members have mastered.

The terra cotta restoration alone takes extreme talent and patience when replacing the already fractured pieces. After removal, the broken pieces are taken to another area on site to be re-created and shipped off to California for an exact replica. The terra cotta pieces can weigh in excess of 2,500 pounds and can take up to six months to be replicated. Timing becomes a very integral component of the project and any incorrect measurement – even a half-inch – can have costly delays. A true testament to the expertise and determination of the union is that the project is on time even after additional repairs were uncovered.

“This type of precision couldn't have been done without the union, especially when it came to the intricacies the masonry and slate entailed,” Watson said. “The union trains their members so diligently that it wasn't a question as to who we would use to get this project done right.”

Milwaukee City Hall was one of the stops on the Power of One job site tour in the beginning of summer. Much progress has been made since then, which can be attributed to the hard work union members have put into the project. The job site tour is meant to thank the workers for their efforts, and this site is a great example of how training and experience make a real difference in the success of our projects.

Due to the union member's dedication, ongoing training and pride they take in their work, City Hall will soon regain the eye of Milwaukeeans, and the country, as the beautiful building it was 112 years ago.

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