Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Members of the New Orleans City Council are locked in debate with Nola Mayor Ray Nagin’s office over a proposal to move City Hall. The plan would include the purchase of Chevron Corp.’s former headquarters building to house the city government offices. At a recent meeting, City Council representatives voiced concern about the expense of purchasing the new building, but the Mayor’s office argues necessary repairs to the existing City Hall facility – including asbestos removal – would far exceed the purchase price for the newer building.

According to a report in the Times-Picayune, city officials estimate repairs to the existing City Hall needed immediately would total close to $10 million, and an additional $31 million for additional repairs, some of which would also need to be made by the end of this year, while others would be “ongoing” repairs.

On the list of “ongoing” concerns is asbestos removal. Asbestos exposure is linked to mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the chest or abdomen, or even more rarely, the heart. There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma.

The Times-Picayune reports the price for the purchase of the former Chevron HQ comes in around $8 million, which includes renovations that would be necessary to prepare it for the City’s offices. Nagin’s office also argues the existing City Hall facility is not large enough to house all the city services, some of which are currently housed in offices outside the City Hall. That expense, the Mayor’s office says, could be saved by incorporating all the offices in the Chevron building.

Some of the work on the immediate repair list for City Hall is damage from Hurricane Katrina. City Council members said alotting so much of the city’s funds to repair the building would not be received well by New Orleans citizens who are themselves still living in structures badly damaged by that storm.

The Times-Picayune reports the City Council voted to reject the Chevron purchase by a vote of 4-3 at its July 28 meeting, but the debate continues.

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