A fine example of Art Deco architecture, the building was completed in the midst of the Great Depression thanks to the foresight of a seven years savings of $524,000 preventing a need for increased taxes.  The exterior concrete massing is accentuated by deeply recessed elongated windows, typical of Art Deco style.  The stylized relief frieze by Studio of Architectural Sculpture, selected by the City Commission, depicts twelve local historical events. The Art Deco style interior is showcased by the lighting fixtures, elevator, dock, drinking fountain, mailboxes, and travertine and Italian marble in the lobby.  Local artist Otto Stauffenberg painted the murals in the Commission Chambers and municipal Courtroom.  The building has had two major renovations, in the late 1960’s and mid 1990’s, to the interior, and one exterior change to add a barrier free entry. 

The following text is quoted or paraphrased from the book “Kalamazoo Lost & Found” by Lynn Smith Houghton and Pamela Hall O’Connor.

“The structure replaced two houses on the site that had served as City offices since 1925.  Previously City Hall was located in Corporation Hall on South Burdick Street.  Kalamazoo’s voters approved the construction of a new building in 1930, having been reassured that taxes would not be increased and local labor would be used.

It took nine months for the O.F. Miller Company to complete the four-story reinforced concrete building which is decorated on the exterior with granite and limestone.  The building’s flagpoles, lights and railings to the garage on the south side are decorated with a floral motif, a prevalent theme on Art Deco structures.

The only major exterior change to this building occurred in 1978, when TowerPinkster made the south entrance barrier free by adding a lift and extending the vestibule.

The building’s interior has experienced two major multi-year renovations between 1966 and 1970 and between 1991 and 1995, due to the changing spatial needs of City departments.  In 1999, Conservation and Museum Services of Detroit cleaned the Commission Chambers mural, removing over 70 years of dust and smoke.

City Hall continues to serve not only as the day-to-day center of City government, but also as a symbol of the City itself.

City Hall is a typical Art Deco building, with its vertical massing and multiple applied decoration.  It is located within the Bronson Park National Register Historic District.”