Jackson gives OK on $1M City Hall renovation, but still critical

City Councilor Tito Jackson is standing by his criticism of nearly $1 million in renovations at City Hall despite having voted twice to approve spending measures included in the project.

“You weigh multiple factors, the question is, ‘ Does the good outweigh the shortcomings?’ and that was why I voted for the capital budget,” Jackson told the Herald yesterday. “There was critical infrastructure in it across the city, in our schools.”

Jackson, who told the Herald Friday he felt the city “should really focus our resources on the neighborhoods and the communities we serve,” said one vote was a “yes or no” vote on this year’s capital budget, while the other was a loan authorization for $53 million to renovate and repair city buildings across Boston.

The City Hall renovations will improve the lobby, including making the entrance more friendly and informative to visitors, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said. The construction, which is estimated to cost close to $1 million, will add a new entrance for employees, a new security entrance and an information desk. The project does not include any work on a private staircase for Walsh, as the Herald reported yesterday. The Mayor’s office does not have a private staircase, only an elevator.

“The renovations we’re doing in City Hall are making the lobby more open, making the process better so we can have better services to the public,” Walsh said yesterday. “It makes the Hall easier for people to access. It’s more open process, more open front, and obviously we have a lot of wasted space in City Hall.”

Construction is expected to begin after Thanksgiving and go through next spring. The work will be done after normal business hours, between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.