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ATTLEBORO - City Hall is being seen in a new light - at least by people who drive by at night.

The glass and brick tower facade on Park Street is newly ablaze every night thanks to the replacement of more than three dozen light bulbs.

Mayor Kevin Dumas said the lighting upgrade is part of capital improvements to the 22-year-old building, which also have included the installation of a new roof and the repair of leaky windows.

The lighting rehabilitation includes a refurbished City Hall sign that used to be nearly invisible at night because the neon needed replacement.

Many of the lights in the tower were out for years, partly because it was difficult to replace bulbs that are 20 to 30 feet off the floor. And the new lighting comes with improvements, Dumas said. The bulbs used for the tower are all energy-efficient. In addition, the City Hall sign is no longer illuminated with neon, which contained lead. Instead, the sign uses light-emitting diode (LED) illumination, he said.

Dumas said the tower now appears as it was designed and creates a bright symbol for the seat of city government.

"It was meant to be a beacon for the city," he said.

GEORGE W. RHODES can be reached at 508-236-0432 or at grhodes@thesunchronicle.com.