Cleveland City Hall front doors
Cleveland City Hall will reopen Thursday after a cyberattack. Credit: Nick Castele / Signal Cleveland

Cleveland will open City Hall’s doors to the public on Thursday, a week and a half after a ransomware attack hit city computer systems. 

Beginning at noon Thursday, people will be able to visit City Hall for vital records, licenses and assessments, and building and housing services. Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration cautioned in a news release that the work may still take time. 

“Please be patient: Things may be slow, and we expect lines for service,” City Hall’s news release said. “Use online options when possible.”

Not everything is up and running. City Hall is asking building and housing customers not to bring hard copies of records, because “as we are unable to scan documents at this time.” Instead, customers can upload documents online through the city’s Accela system.

Bibb’s office hasn’t yet said how ransomware found its way into the city’s computer systems. Nor has the administration outlined the scope of the damage done. City Hall has received help from the FBI and Ohio Cyber Reserve in responding to the cyberattack.

City Hall is closed Wednesday for the Juneteenth holiday.

Government Reporter
I follow how decisions made at Cleveland City Hall and Cuyahoga County headquarters ripple into the neighborhoods. I keep an eye on the power brokers and political organizers who shape our government. I am a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and have covered politics and government in Northeast Ohio since 2012.