Article: Gloucester struggles to restore City Hall, landmark bell tower

GLOUCESTER - In this seaside city, where the sweet smells of gift shops and Italian bakeries coexist with gritty bars on the waterfront, one iconic structure dominates the skyline: The old brick City Hall, with its distinctive bell tower, perched on a rise above Main Street.

Generations of fishermen have looked to the tower as an ever- reliable landmark on their return from the sea to safe harbor. But after years of neglect, the tower has grown unsteady. Its paint is peeling badly, its timbers have rotted, and it lists to the south, leaning 19 inches off center at one point, a recent inspection found.

The inspection determined that the tower is in worse shape than anyone expected. The ...

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