Costs

ITEM Cost -1891 Dollars
(Actual)		 Cost -1996 Dollars
(Inflation Adjustment)
  • Site Preparation
  • Excavation, Foundation stone and masonry
  • Granite and Bluestone work
  • Marble and marble work
  • Interior dressed stonework
  • Bricks and brickwork
  • Cast and wrought iron work
  • Metal work for tower
  • Interior fit out and furnishings
  • Other branches of construction (Mechanical & Electrical)
  • Misc operating costs etc.

    • ---------------------------------------------------------------
    TOTAL:

    		 $    361,435
    $    359,669
    $    452,407
    $ 5,467,503
    $ 1,950,440
    $ 1,406,722
    $ 1,497,400
    $    830,829
    $ 4,835,052
    $ 4,788,463
    $ 2,363,535

    ----------------
    $24,313,455
    (24.3 MILLION)


    		 $     94,768,257
    $     94,305,211
    $    118,621,110
    $ 1,433,579,200
    $    511,405,360
    $    368,842,500
    $    392,618,280
    $    217,843,360
    $ 1,267,750,600
    $ 1,255,534,900
    $    619,718,870

    ----------------
    $6,374,987,300
    (6.375 BILLION)
  • Average of inflation since 1901 increases the building cost by about 26.22 times the original.
  • Original building cost estimate was $7.5 million dollars
  • Bricks were purchased for $11.75 per thousand
  • A commission appointed by Mayor Joseph S. Clark estimated the cost to reproduce the building in 1953 would be $108 million dollars.
  • A study prepared by the Vitetta Group in 1993 estimated about $175 million dollars would be required to rehabilitate the building.
  • Tower restoration (metal portion) in 1987 cost $24 million dollars
  • Original cost of tower (metal portion installed by Tacony Iron & Metal) in 1894 was $830,829.00 dollars
  • One reason City Hall took so long to build was the fact that Councils consistently shortchanged the Commission's requests for funding - the table shows amounts requested vs. amounts received.

    • YEAR

    1876
    1877
    1878
    1879
    1880
    1881
    1887
    1888
    1889
    1890
    1891
    1892
    1893
    1894
    1896
    1900
    1901

    		 FUNDS REQUESTED

    $1,193,250
    $1,500,000
    $1,217,400
    $1,265,000
    $1,274,000
    $1,477,950
    $1,226,637
    $1,246,087
    $1,115,900
    $1,211,225
    $1,733,900
    $1,832,360
    $1,200,000
    $1,832,360
    $2,000,000
    $2,883,365
    $760,135

    		 FUNDS RECIEVED

    $500,000
    NONE
    $600,000
    $750,000
    $665,000
    $750,000
    $500,000
    $525,000
    $750,000
    $750,000
    $750,000
    $800,000
    $50,000
    $626,992
    $1,000,000
    $625,517
    $399,651

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