Disbanding

The shroud is coming down.

Nearly three years after the largest earthquake in Los Angeles history rattled City Hall, the black band that has encircled the landmark to keep pieces of rock from falling on passersby will finally be removed beginning Friday, officials said.

The removal of the three black nets, which cost $60,000, will take five days. It symbolizes the completion of the first phase of a massive retrofit of the 68-year-old building.

“The removal of this shroud will highlight the restoration of City Hall to its former grandeur,” City Council President John Ferraro wrote in inviting his colleagues to attend the unveiling ceremony. “It can also serve as the unveiling of the symbolic shroud over our city’s ‘time of troubles,’ which included the civil disturbances of 1992 and the great earthquake of 1994, and the heralding of a positive era of economic growth and political and social harmony for this great city.”

But while the shroud’s removal marks the end of the $1.25-million project of installing 2,000 50-pound terra cotta blocks on the 24th, 25th and 26th floors, the fate of the rest of the seismic retrofit remains unclear.

Experts estimate the work would take three years and cost $165 million to $280 million. City officials, politicians and outside consultants have differed over whether the entire building should be repaired and restored to full use, or whether only the bottom few floors should be fixed. Some have suggested tearing down the landmark altogether.

A council committee is scheduled to meet Monday to decide the fate of the larger retrofit project.

Friday, however, lawmakers plan to celebrate the end of an eyesore with a commemoration of City Hall’s history--complete with theme music from “Superman,” who leapt over the landmark in a single bound.