The blue-grey walkways circumscribing Baltimore City Hall, where many a powerbroker, celebrity, common citizen and occasional felon have trod, are getting a thorough facelift.

Workers have already stripped the walks along Lexington St. and Guilford Ave. clean of their venerable mix of slate slabs, asphalt and concrete filler. In their place: smooth, grey-colored concrete. The sidewalk bordering Saratoga St. will follow suit shortly.

The entrance to City Hall is fated (or should we say slated) for a different treatment.

In keeping with the cobblestoned tradition of Holliday Street, the front sidewalk will remain clad in stone. Slate slabs are set to be relaid, with worn-down and broken sections replaced by spares salvaged from the removed sidewalks. A pile of slate has been temporarily stored in front of the building.

The cost of sprucing-up City Hall’s perimeter: about $200,000, according to Kathy Chopper of the city Transportation Department.

The repairs are part of a $733,971 contract awarded to Machado Construction Co. by the Board of Estimates for “citywide sidewalk rehabilitation.” About 38% of the funds come from general funds and the rest from motor vehicle gas tax revenues.

Here are some more pics of the project: