City Hall to go green?

Debate over municiple building move continues

 

 

Taxpayer's say

While recognizing some of the structure’s faults — such as mold, poor air quality and lights that never turn off — Flaherty said he has “yet to meet one taxpayer that thinks moving City Hall to South Boston is a good idea.”

 

 Debate over the future of City Hall took another turn this week when City Councilor Michael Flaherty furthered talk of “greening” the structure, a potential affront to Mayor Thomas Menino’s plan to move municipal offices to a sparkling venue on the South Boston waterfront.

Flaherty, an opponent of Menino’s plan from the start, wants a hearing on the benefits of a green renovation that would include sensor technologies, solar power options and air quality improvements.

Such an effort would go beyond simple upgrades, said Flaherty, who is rumored to be an opponent to Menino in next year’s mayoral election.

“It’s reckless to assume that we have to build a new City Hall to be green,” he said, stressing changes that would save taxpayers millions of dollars while keeping government headquarters in a central location.

Calling a potential tear-down of the 40-year-old structure “a dangerous and misleading example of what is required for the city to invest in green buildings,” Flaherty said a green renovation in the heart of the city would serve as a model for others.

Menino has trumpeted plans to move City Hall to a 14-acre spot on the water that would simultaneously revitalize downtown and South Boston, while avoiding an expensive renovation.

“Anybody who has walked into City Hall knows it is extremely inefficient,” said Jim Hunt, the city’s chief of environmental and energy services. “The costs of completely overhauling the building would be millions upon millions of dollars.”

Estimates on a new HVAC system alone run around $50 million.

Flaherty hopes to have a hearing on the matter in September.