Bay Village clock to get needed repair
At the end of last year, The Bay Village Foundation launched an initiative to repair the City Hall clock, which had been inoperative for several years. The funds have been raised and work will soon commence to restore the clock to working order.
Quotes were obtained from two separate companies and The Verdin Company of Cincinnati was selected. Representatives of The Bay Village Foundation and the Bay Historical Society assisted with confirming the scope of the work to be completed.
All of the mechanical parts of the clock will be new--the clock movement and clock hands. The existing clock dials will remain. New energy efficient LED backlighting will also be installed. The total cost of the project is $14,140.
Verdin Company has completed several large clocks in the area including post clocks at Westlake City Hall, in Avon Lake and at Lakewood Country Club. Multi-sided tower clocks have been completed by Verdin in Cleveland Heights and Brooklyn. Six generations of Verdin family members have been involved in the business since its founding in 1842. There are only a handful of companies left in the country that manufacture these large, four-sided clocks.
The Bay Village Foundation started the ball rolling with a gift of $6,000 toward the clock replacement in November. The BVF planned this gift to the city as part of the celebration of the BVF's 20th anniversary this year (2015). The BVF has now received private donations for the remaining cost of the project. The installation of the new clock is expected to be completed by July 4.
When we celebrated the 100th anniversary of City Hall in November of 2014, we thought it was time to get the clock and carillons working again. Thanks to the support of the BVF and the Bay Historical Society, and the generosity of our residents, that will be a reality soon! The clock is an important landmark in Bay Village and is easily visible from Bay Village Square shopping center and throughout much of Cahoon Park.
Stay tuned for announcements from The Bay Village Foundation on a celebration event for the whole community at city hall when the clock work is completed.