Mitchell: Time to Think About Replacing New Bedford City Hall

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said building a new New Bedford City Hall won't happen in the next four years, but the mayor said one is needed.

Mitchell told Marcus Ferro and Chris McCarthy on WBSM's SouthCoast Now that replacing city hall is "not on the front burner, but it has to be somewhere on the stove."

Mitchell estimated replacing New Bedford City Hall would cost between $100 million and $200 million.

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The mayor admitted the City doesn't have that kind of money at its disposal but indicated that the time is coming when the aging red brick building at 133 William Street will need replacing.

Destination New Bedford says of city hall, "Originally built in 1857 as the library, it was reconstructed between 1906-1912."

The building, home to "one of the oldest continually operating public elevators in the United States, was heavily damaged by fire in 1906. It reopened in 1912 as city hall, and what had been city hall across the street became the library.

I recently wrote a piece about all that you might find interesting.

Mitchell has also discussed his desire to, at some point, relocate the SRTA bus terminal, currently next door to city hall, to near the Whale's Tooth parking lot. There is no timetable for that project, either.

When the time comes to replace city hall, the new building could be built at the current spot or perhaps at a new location. Maybe you think it is worth saving the existing building and simply remodeling it?

What would be your preference?