In addition, the construction of the building would generate significant government expenditures, which many local businessmen sought to share in.

[5] As president of the Select Council, Stokley also held an ex officio seat on the city's Public Buildings Commission, which was overseeing the matter.

The Select Council voted down this bill, and also passed a resolution asking the sate legislature to not intervene in the matter.

With knowledge of the governor's intent to veto Independence Square prohibition, even before it was vetoed Henszey had began guiding to state senate passage a new bill to render Independence Square "a public green forever", which would have the effect of preventing construction on it.

The bill was amended by other senators prior to its passage to protect from demolition some buildings at Penn Square and to also order that other new public buildings (housing the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Franklin Institute, Library Company of Philadelphia, and Academy of Natural Sciences) would be located at Penn Square if it was rejected by voters as a location for the city hall.

Before its passage, the bill also was amended to contain a provision to restructure the Public Buildings Commission by removing the seats held by several contractors, and by also making votes of the commission binding, removing the City Council's power to supervise city hall construction.

Penn Square passed with an 18,000-vote margin-of-victory, a vote result which was similar to the margins that Republican nominees led by in elections for local offices.

He aligned himself with business community objections to a number of controversial decisions that the Committee on Public Buildings had made.