At a cost of more than $2 million (in 1870s money), the Baltimore City Hall is built largely of many courses and rows of thicknesses of brick with the exterior walls faced with white marble.

The slate roof leaked, the exterior marble was eroding in places and the heating, cooling and electrical systems needed to be replaced.

Architectural Heritage Inc., in association with Meyers, D'Aleo and Patton Inc., local architects, were retained to begin the design.

[11] On October 11, 1883, James F. Busey, a Democratic ward operative, was shot and killed outside of City Hall.

The two got into a political argument and after some punches were thrown, both men drew their pistols and began firing at each other in rapid succession.

On April 13, 1976, Hopkins, angered that his restaurant was being shut down, killed Dominic Leone, a member of the Baltimore City Council.

Hopkins was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings but has spent most of his life since then at mental health facilities.