Much of that work was on the iconic south tower, which rises 350 feet above the ground and which houses a 22,000-pound bell and the four clock faces. A steep-sloped copper-clad roof rises from the clock dormers, with a circular cupola with balustrade and lantern capping off the tower and holding the flagpole. The copper roofing was replaced and numerous decorative elements were re-fabricated in copper to match originals.

The steep-sloped portion of the south tower originally was covered with slate, but that was replaced with copper sheets in 1923. Also, the original terra cotta pinnacles at the tower had been replaced with copper in 1928.

The clock faces were restored to their original design, with a translucent back-lighted face.

FJAC crews also replaced copper cladding, substrate and decorative elements on the smaller

north tower, which also includes cupola and lantern with decorative elements, using approximately 115,000 pounds of copper on the overall project.

Flat roof areas on the 10th and 12th floors were replaced with a SBS modified bitumen roof system that originally was felt and asphalt over a cement decking. Additional layers had been applied over the years. The slate roof of the main portion of the building had been replaced in 1973-74. That area rises to a copper coping at a flat roof over the center of City Hall.

“It likely was the most challenging project we’ve ever worked on,” said Greg Johnson, FJAC operations manager for the renovation. Contributing to the challenge was the multi-year timeline, the complexity of installation, coordination with FJAC’s Canadian copper fabricator for some of the replacement pieces, the need to arrange schedules with several other trades, access to heights, and the working conditions 300 feet above ground.

As a National Historic Landmark, original elements of the building had to be maintained or restored, including ornate and decorative panels that were worn out or missing.
While original drawings and plans facilitated replacement of architectural elements, installation wasn’t always easy.

“When you work on a building that’s more than 100 years old, nothing is perfectly square or round,” Johnson noted. “What works on paper plans doesn’t always work in the real world. The City Hall project required numerous field modifications.”

The weather also was an issue for the crews working hundreds of feet above ground. “Other than June, July and August, it was windy every day up there,” Johnson said.
An on-site hoist allowed some materials to be lifted to the roof sections, but some areas were only accessible via interior elevators and stairwells, and the hoist was removed from the job site before FJAC’s work was done.

Despite the heights, tight working conditions and demanding deadlines, FJAC crews remained accident-free, noted McNamara.

“Our crews did an outstanding job, especially considering the conditions and the need in many cases to wait for other trades to complete their work before we could finish the roofing work,” Orvedahl added. “We got it done on time thanks to our dedicated employees who at times worked long days, seven days a week in harsh conditions. I tip my hat to them. Despite all the pressures they faced, we never sacrificed quality. They matched the great craftsmanship that went into constructing this landmark building.”

FJAC’s work was part of the massive project under general contractor J.P Cullen & Sons that involved renovation of worn-out sandstone, deteriorating bricks, terra cotta sculptures and nearly 2,000 windows.

Completion of the restoration project was marked at a Dec. 18 ceremony.
When City Hall was completed in 1895, its 353-foot height made it one of the tallest structures in the country. From 1895 through 1899, it was the tallest habitable building in the country, surpassed only by the 555-foot-tall Washington Monument. The distinction among habitable buildings quickly passed, however, when the 15 Park Row building was completed in New York’s Financial District in 1899, at a height of 391 feet. Philadelphia’s City Hall, under construction since 1871, took the top spot when it was completed in 1901. That massive structure topped out at 548 feet. While Milwaukee’s City Hall height distinction has long since passed, the building remains one of the most ornate city halls in the country.