Calgary old city hall's $34M fix to be debated by council

Built in 1907, Calgary's old city hall needs more than just a facelift, it requires over $34 million worth of work just to keep from crumbling.

The issue of whether to spend that kind of money on the historic structure will come before council on Monday.

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The work will take years to complete and those who work in the building including the mayor and councilwill have to find new offices.

If the work is approved,it will gobble up most of the city`s Heritage Building Preservation Fund.

Darrel Bell,the City of Calgary's manager of building infrastructure, says groundwater is rising up and making the sandstone brittle. They call the phenomenon"rising damp."

"The rising damp causes the sand just to come off of my fingers," he said as he gaveCBC News a tour of the building.

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Calgary Eyeopener4:53Repairs at Old City Hall

We take you behind the construction fences at Calgary's Old City Hall to take a closer look at why the building needs millions of dollars in repair.

The building was previously clad in a coating to protect the stone from the elements, but even that is failing,Bell says.

In addition, non-original concrete that was added to the joints in the structure reacts poorly with the sandstone and is causing holes to form.

"So there's been lots and lots of work on this building over the years, and some of it was well intentioned, but actually hasn't lasted," said Bell.

Exacerbating the water issue is Calgary's freeze-thaw weather, allowing water to seep in before freezing and causing cracks in the stone.

Half the building needs work

Bell pointed to spots he calls "biological growth," and likens it to an algae rather than mold.

"This building deserves to have some love and attention, and basically can't continue to go like it is," he said.

Bell estimates about half of the large stones on the building will need work of some kind, which raises the question of where the city will source the material.

"There used to bequarrieshere, sothat'sone of the functions of the project is to look and see where we can find the material," he said.