Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today cut the ribbon officially re-opening City Hall's Blue Room which recently underwent a three-and-a-half month, $260,000- renovation, funded through private and public sources. Through the years, the Blue Room has served as a public reception room, as the Office of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and is currently the site of mayoral press conferences.

"The Blue Room is the public face of City Hall, in the greatest City in the world," Mayor Giuliani said. "This room, which has served as the Mayor's public reception room for more than 180 years, has undergone only six renovations since 1862 and was, in fact, originally painted green. I am very pleased that the renovation has enhanced the historic character of the room while providing improved technological support for the media."

The renovation project which was funded by public and private funds, included stripping and refinishing the decorative woodwork, flooring, plaster ornament and doors; refinishing and repainting the walls; installation of new curtains and carpeting; and refurbishing the historic marble mantelpiece dating to 1812. New furnishings for the room include new seats for the press and a new conference table and chairs. Among the major structural improvements were an upgraded lighting and audio system.

The Mayor pointed out some of the fine detail work performed by craftsmen during the renovation. The ornamental ceiling medallion, cornice and rope moldings, as well as the wainscot and door-surrounds were carefully and meticulously stripped of layers and layers of old paint which obscured many of the room's most beautiful details. Among these details are the acanthus leaf molding and the bas-relief wooden plaque above the center doors which reads: "Law of the City of New York - 1811 Charter."

"The success of this project has depended largely on private citizens who understand the value of preserving and enhancing the history of City Hall," the Mayor continued. "At my inauguration almost one year ago, I asked the citizens of New York City to join with me in vowing to leave this City a better and more beautiful place than we found it. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to all those who, through their hard work and generosity, have made historic City Hall a more beautiful place."

To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of New York City new portraits will grace the walls of the Blue Room. These individuals were all integrally connected to the history of eighteenth century New York or to the construction of City Hall. The portraits include:

• Thomas Jefferson: was President of the United States at the time of the groundbreaking for City Hall (1803). He also served as the first Secretary of State under President George Washington when New York City was the young nation's new capital; portrait painted by Charles Jarvis;
• Mayor DeWitt Clinton: appointed Mayor of New York City in 1803 and served until 1815. He was the first Mayor to use the Blue Room as his public office on April 18, 1812; portrait by John Trumbull;
• Mayor William Paulding: served as Mayor from 1824 through 1829. Paulding also served as a Brigadier General in the New York State Militia during the War of 1812; portrait painted by Samuel F.L. Morse;
• Mayor Edward Livingston: appointed Mayor in 1801 and presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for City Hall. After serving as Mayor and United States Attorney for the New York District, Livingston moved to New Orleans and later served as U.S. Senator from Louisiana; portrait by John Trumbull;
• Mayor James Duane: appointed Mayor by Governor George Clinton in 1784, and served until 1789. He was New York's first Mayor after British occupation; portrait painted by John Trumbull.

A committee of advisors composed of John S. Dyson, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors; Dr. Reba White Williams, former President of the Art Commission and Vice President of Special Projects at Alliance Capital; and Richard Jenrette, Chairman Emeritus of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, led the renovation project. Donors for the project included Shelby White and Leon Levy, Reba and Dave Williams, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, John S. Dyson, The Avenue Association, Joyce and Robert Menschel, Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation, Inc., The Tisch Family Foundation, Richard J. Schwartz, Andrew M. Blum, Barbara G. Fleischman, Jean Rather, and Ramirez & Co., Inc.

The Decorator's Club, under the leadership of Sarah Tomerlin Lee and Jill Barber, initiated the Blue Room renovation project. Subsequent work was overseen by the Office of the Mayor, the Art Commission of the City of New York staff, The Landmarks Preservation staff, and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. The project team also included Gemini Cut Glass Co., Evergreene Painting Studio, Inc., Interiors by Robert, and Olaf Unsoeld and Cornelis Van Horn. The portraits now hanging in the room were restored by Ken Moser, painting conservator; fabric and trim was supplied by Scalamandre, Inc.; hardware was supplied by Baldwin. Lighting design and installation were provided by Brad Mackie, Prism Theatrical Lighting. Sound design was by Simon Nathan, Audio Production Services, Inc.

The Blue Room renovation was performed with the assistance guidance of the Art Commission and the Landmarks Commission. The guidance of Deborah Bershad, the Executive Director of the Art Commission, was a crucial component in the success of the project. Employees of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services were responsible for the carpentry work, electrical upgrades, painting and locksmith work. In addition, DCAS utilized the services of its bricklayers, machinists, engineers and ceremonies unit. The Mayor said that the work performed by these artisans was exceptional.

The work in the Blue room was coordinated by the Mayor's Office of Administrative Operation under the leadership of Jean Ross. Phil Wilhite brought the technological capacity of the room from the 19th century into the 21st Century. Additionally, Laurel Halberstadt and Frank Alesci and the Administrative Operations staff played an important role in coordinating work with DCAS and the private vendors. The Mayor congratulated all of these individuals and their staffs.