After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , the building suffered from major structural damage and was immediately closed down . Instead of tearing it down and replacing it with a newer building , city leaders decided to retrofit it seismically . To do so , steel columns in the foundation were cut and they were replaced by rubber bearings . Steel beams were added to support the steel structure and concrete walls were added to support existing walls . The building can now move laterally 18-20 inches in an earthquake . The city hall was repaired along with the downtown revitalization project of building new office buildings . The repair project cost $ 85 million
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Oakland City Hall