The building itself was the object of debate and discussion when Charleston’s City Council Meeting was held Tuesday evening at the current city hall building, which is located at 520 Jackson Ave.

The city hall building, which is home to not only the City Council but also other departments such as the Water Department and Special Olympics office, has been in need of a new elevator for the last ten years.

The City Council has plans to build a new elevator, which will be handicap accessible and up to code for public buildings, at the front of the city hall building. The current elevator will be taken out, which will make that area open to access rooms in the basement.

It will be necessary to make an addition to the front of the building, but the council feels this is a not only a necessity, but also an opportunity to make the building feel as though it is more a part of the town.

The overall 1980’s architecture and design of the building is also a concern of the council. According to Inyart, in the 1980s most of the single pane windows in the building were covered up with two by fours and brick in order to conserve energy.

This “makes working in the building kind of dreary,” Inyart said.

By re-opening the windows, the council hopes to make the environment of the building more pleasant for the workers and the citizens who frequent the building.