They chose 71 to commemorate the number of years that the old City Hall on James Street North had been in use.

[1] Prior to making the decision to construct the new City Hall, council had considered annexing the Lister Block for offices and connecting it to the old City hall via an overhead, enclosed walkway spanning James Street North.

Among the listed heritage elements on the exterior are the Italian glass tile mosaics.

In May 2007, Hamilton City Council directed staff to proceed with the renovation of the building, and the launch phase of the project began in June 2008.

Costs, designs and delivery of the project were approved by the council in October 2008, allowing pre-construction and initial renovation work to begin later that year.