NEWS

Cleaning up the people's house

By EMMA BARTLETT
Posted 12/28/21

By EMMA BARTLETT City Hall is undergoing a makeover inside and out. With a new paint job for all three levels, polished floors and a reception desk which visitors can stop at when walking into the building, the improvements are all part of Mayor

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NEWS

Cleaning up the people's house

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City Hall is undergoing a makeover inside and out. With a new paint job for all three levels, polished floors and a reception desk which visitors can stop at when walking into the building, the improvements are all part of Mayor Hopkins’ efforts to “clean up the people’s house.”

He said Monday the goal is to make the building more welcoming and increasingly comfortable.

As soon as people step into City Hall, the changes are easy to spot. The building now houses a police substation to the right of the main entryway where a police officer is stationed during City Hall’s hours – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In the past, disgruntled townspeople could make their way to the top floor without stopping at any type substation or of front desk after entering the building. These new features help with the safety of the 50-60 individuals working in the building. Before the renovations took place, the Mayor invited a transition team for police and fire, including a retired colonel of Cranston police, two retired state troopers and the East Providence fire chief to inspect the building and offer security suggestions. This visit resulted in security upgrades. Additionally, while there are already security cameras on the outside of the building, City Hall plans to install additional security cameras on the interior.

“We still want people to come in and don’t want it to be a lockdown fortress,” said Mayor Hopkins.

Past the police substation individuals can now find a reception desk in the middle of the hallway. Prior to this installment, it was simply an empty corridor. Now, individuals entering City Hall can speak with the desk’s greeter who can direct them where to go. Both the Mayor and Tony C. Moretti, Chief of Staff, said this new feature proved to be extremely helpful during the pandemic, since the greeter could stop people before coming in.

Meanwhile, the third floor has also seen some major remodeling. Mayor Hopkins said that the Department of Public Works painted the walls, changing the color scheme to a cool-gray which gave the offices a “cleaner and neater look” in contrast to the previous tan color. City Hall also hired contractors to redo the ceilings and carpeting, which allowed for the placement of comfier and less formal furniture. To make one of the offices comfier, Mayor Hopkins replaced the conference table with two couches and two sofa chairs. A glass door will also be installed in the Mayor’s office area that will be locked and allow people to be buzzed in.

The highlight of the third floor, however, may be Mayor Hopkins’ fifteen-month-old dog Izzy who has the run of the third floor. She enjoys greeting people in the office and with her own dog bed in the office, Izzy is right at home.

Mayor Hopkins said that redoing the inside of City Hall has been a massive clean up job, and there are plans to continue painting common areas and other offices that need sprucing up. Moretti said, as of now, excluding labor that maintenance staff has put in, the cost for this work is roughly $30,000. The ongoing work will be completed with the maintenance staff’s availability.

As for the exterior, the Mayor has already implemented new changes, putting together a holiday lights display that has been more elaborate than in past years. Additionally, one of the upcoming plans for the outside is to update the building’s “City Hall” lettering which is to be depicted in gold.

COMFY AND COZY: Mayor Hopkins replaced the office’s conference table with multiple couches and sofa chairs. There is even a gas stove in the room and a television that the Mayor uses for virtual meetings. (Cranston Herald photos)

PEEK INTO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE: Mayor Hopkins sits at his desk in his newly updated office. (Cranston Herald photos)

STOPPING BY CITY HALL’S NEW RECEPTION DESK: Yarmiry DiGregorio works at City Hall’s new reception desk which visitors will see upon immediately entering the building.

mayor, makeover

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