City Hall gets new landscaping; part of sidewalk removed

Some visible changes are coming to the front of the city of Lorain’s main government building.

Crews this week removed a sidewalk that connects the front door of Lorain City Hall, visible from the intersection of Broadway and West Erie Avenue, to the parking lot sitting west and north of the building.

Some people still walk up to the front door, but it has been locked for several years and has not been accessible to the public.

Instead, the main public entrance to City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., and the Lorain Police Department, 100 W. Erie Ave., sits in the back of the building off the main parking lot.

The Lorain Public Property Department is overseeing the work, which was designed by the Lorain Engineering Department, said Public Property Manager Lori Garcia.

Crews used an excavator with jackhammer and claw attachments to remove the sidewalk that sits along the building, behind the row of flagpoles visible in front.

The sidewalk that ran east-west adjacent to the building will not be replaced with more concrete.

Instead, that area will be filled in with dirt and topsoil and seeded for grass.

Garcia has been meeting with landscapers to get prices for new plants along the front of City Hall.

The flagpoles lining the front of the building will remain in place.

Workers removed a tree from the front lawn, which uncovered the face of a clock built into the side of the building.

Now that the clock is visible, it is obvious it needs repainting, Garcia said.

Weather permitting, city workers on May 26 will pour concrete to create a paved connector between the City Hall parking lot and the main sidewalk that runs along West Erie Avenue.

The goal is to have that done so the new path is set by the Memorial Day Parade on May 29, Garcia said.

On May 23, workers discovered at least two underground drain pipes that no longer were connected to any storm sewers. They planned to dig out what they could and cap those pipes.

Garcia credited the quick work of Crew Leader Jason Graves, workers Dominic Hryszczenko, Steve Ferguson and other street department staff for the project.

On May 23, Paul Ceja from the Sewer Department assisted with capping the underground drains.

RICHARD PAYERCHIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL Sewer Department worker Paul Ceja, left, digs around an underground drain discovered as Street Department Crew Leader Jason Graves and Street Department workers Dominic Hryszczenko and Steve Ferguson used an excavator to remove part of the concrete...

RICHARD PAYERCHIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL Lorain Street Department worker Steve Ferguson observes as Street Department worker Dominic Hryszczenko uses an excavator to remove part of the concrete sidewalk around Lorain City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., on May 23. That section of concrete will be...