The Campanile is a 275-foot clock tower, and one of three buildings that make up the "Municipal Group".   It was built in 1911, using a steel frame structure clad in limestone.  This construction system's inherent weakness is the proximity of the steel to the masonry surface.  Masonry absorbs and retains moisture, which ultimately rusts the exterior surfaces of the steel, causing the steel to expand and push the limestone outward.  At many locations on the tower, limestone fragments have spalled and broken free of the tower.  Temporary chain link fencing was installed away from the base of the Campanile in an attempt to create a buffer zone from potential falling debris. 

In 2007, the cost to properly repair the exterior limestone shaft was estimated at $5.7 million dollars.  Funds to begin this important and historical project are currently not available.  So, in May, 2008, the City installed steel netting on the Campanile as an additional safety measure.  The netting was installed at three of the four corners, in the areas that contain cracks in the limestone.