Old City Hall

BillerReinhart provided structural engineering services to the City of Tampa for a series of sensitive assignments at historic Old City Hall, combining urgent structural stabilization with long-term monitoring and careful support of a civic heritage event. The work began with the 9th Floor Structural Repair effort, where previously observed deterioration of reinforced concrete columns and beams beneath the 10th floor required further evaluation, temporary shoring guidance, permanent restoration repair documents, cost estimating, bidding support, and construction administration. The proposal emphasized the need to limit access and proceed cautiously until temporary repairs could be implemented. 

The firm’s role continued through a two-year monitoring program for the 10th-floor shoring and east exterior elevation columns. Monthly site visits were proposed to visually assess the stabilized concrete elements, the shoring installed on the 9th floor, the top side of the 10th floor, the underside of the 9th floor, and two exterior columns for cracking, brick displacement, or out-of-plane movement. 

In a separate but closely related preservation assignment, BillerReinhart supported the planned removal of the 1915 cornerstone at the northeast corner of Old City Hall in anticipation of retrieving a concealed time capsule. Working with prior non-destructive testing findings and coordinating with All Trades Historical Restoration, the scope included observational support, review of temporary support measures, photographic documentation, and summary reporting during stone removal, time capsule investigation, ceremony preparation, and reinstallation. 

In another preservation assignment in Old City Hall, BillerReinhart provided designs for the modifications and structural strengthening of the existing elevator shaft to support new elevator equipment.

Together, these projects reflect a thoughtful balance of public safety, structural judgment, historic stewardship, and civic significance. At Old City Hall, BillerReinhart’s work was not simply about repairing building components; it was about helping preserve an important Tampa landmark while protecting its occupants, documenting its evolving condition, and supporting a rare moment when the building’s past was literally brought back into view.