Milwaukee City Hall is sinking, millions to bail it out

Six years ago the City of Milwaukee spent 70 million to renovate city hall but the city could spend up to 60 million more because Milwaukee's City Hall is sinking.

The issue is? It's built on 2,500 wood pilings. Alderman Bob Bauman, from District 4 is on Public Works Committee says, \"Over the last 120 years the pilings have begun to deteriorate due to fungus and natural causes.\"

It sank 2 inches on the northeast and northwest corners.The tower appears to be securely in place but the first phase of the project will cost 15-20 million dollars. It could cost up to 60 million dollars.

Bauman says, \"Taking the load of the building transferring it to a new piling system, a new foundation system, so the deterioration of the wood no longer allows the building to settle.\"

City hall isn't the only building with the problem.

\"The Mitchell building has had this issue, the great exchange building has had this issue, almost all of the 19th century buildings have had those repairs.\"

To put 60 million dollars into perspective the proposed Couture building would cost 122 million dollars, the Northwest Mutual Building currently under construction carries a 400-million-dollar price tag.

If the plans for the city renovations go through, it would be funded by capital funding.