Paterson City Hall remains closed because of lack of heat

PATERSON — City Hall stayed closed Tuesday as officials scrambled to resolve a boiler problem that they knew about more than a year ago.

Mayor Andre Sayegh confirmed the continued closure at 8:22 a.m. on Tuesday. As of 8:30 a.m., the start of normal city business hours, officials had not posted any announcement about the shutdown on Paterson’s website or social media pages.

Officials have not said when they expect City Hall to reopen to the public. The mayor’s chief of staff, Habib Kader, said Monday that municipal employees may work from home on a voluntary basis.

Earlier: Paterson City Hall shuts down because of a heating failure; boiler replacement underway

The lack of heat stemmed from a long-delayed boiler replacement project, a problem that started in March 2022 when the City Hall basement flooded.

The mayor attributed the delay in replacing the boiler to “supply chain challenges.”

Hazel Hughes, the president of the union that represents City Hall office workers, had sent Sayegh administration officials messages about the impending heat problem in September and October.

But Sayegh administration officials assured her the new boiler would be in place before the cold weather started.

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ City Hall closure continues because of lack of heat