Speech Given by Tony Irons at the Dedication of the City Hall Time Capsule
January 5, 2001

88 years ago, the cornerstone was laid for this building. It in many ways this signified the rebirth of San Francisco after the devastating 1906 earthquake. The design award had been given to Arthur Brown Jr., of Bakewell and Brown, a student of the Ecole d’Beaux Art in Paris, following an international competition. His design was not only his greatest achievement, but also gave this city its finest structure.

This building has been called the crowned jewel of the finest ensemble of classical architecture in America. It is truly one of the most important buildings in this country. It has been designated a City landmark, State landmark and a National Historic landmark – the most prestigious designation of all. Over 80 years, the building served the people of this city as their seat of government and symbol of strength. Fortunately, it had remained largely unchanged throughout this time so that its original character was evident in most places. It had, however, been designed for a government and a people of the very early 20th century and had been neither modified nor renovated as the years passed.

The way we all interact with each other changes, as we know, over time. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck this region damaging hundreds of buildings including City Hall. The City brought together the finest architects and engineers to propose a solution to the obvious seismic deficiencies of City Hall. That group, consisting of 27 architectural and engineering firms from San Francisco, proposed and designed a bold and innovative solution. That solution, called base isolation, wholly separates this building from the ground allowing it to move two feet in any direction in the event of a great earthquake. The seismic forces are largely dissipated before they reach the building, preventing this magnificent and massive dome from acting as a pendulum.

The first time I met Mayor Willie Brown was the day after he was first elected Mayor. I gave him a tour of this building and explained that the present funding provided for the seismic strengthening, but all of the other parts – the electrical, the heating, the doors, the stone – would be returned to the building in their existing condition. The Mayor said "No" the building must be renovated in its entirety. He said, "Let the building’s voice speak for itself. Let that voice articulate its magnificence and let the political voice part the waters and pave the way so that that vision might be realized."

Today we have a building, which is, in every respect, one of the most functional, most accessible, smartest, and most beautiful buildings in the United States, if not the world.

Six hearing rooms allow for all public discourse of the citizenry to be heard. Magnificent public spaces allow for the people’s events to occur here. And contemporary offices throughout, allow for the work of the people’s government to take place here.

While we were reinforcing the ground floor walls to strengthen the base of the building, a tradesperson drilling to implant steel bars felt his drill slide into a void. He alerted us, and we discovered a time capsule, unnoted on any drawing, underneath the cornerstone of this building. That copper box was removed, repaired, and its contents placed on display. It is for the replacement of that time capsule at the millennium, that we have gathered here.

Those people who have dedicated their time to creating a new time capsule and identifying its appropriate contents are here today. They represent the past, the present and the future.

They are:

• Gladys Hanson, Curator of the San Francisco Museum
• Susan Goldstein, the archivist from the San Francisco Library
• Kerry Painter, the Building Manager of City Hall
• Yomi Agunbiade, my assistant and Acting Director of my office

And most importantly, the youth and future of this City:

• Myron Howard-Johnson, age 17, Chair of the City’s Youth Commission
• And Nick Ziv, age 9, from George Peabody Elementary School, accompanied here today by his classmates and the fine band from the Ben Franklin school

As is often the case, as was the case in 1906 and again in 1989, great tragedy can provide great opportunity. But opportunity becomes reality only when shepherded by equal measures of great vision and courage. Working with brilliant and dedicated elected officials – the City Attorney, the City Controller, Chair of the Finance Committee, and now City Treasurer, and the past President of the Board of Supervisors – one man spoke with that vision necessary to bring us this reality. He has brought to San Francisco a great legacy that will endure for centuries to come. He is to me a true mentor, in his own right a great architect, and a visionary leader of this city.

Ladies and Gentlemen our Mayor the Honorable Willie Lewis Brown Jr.