The public often complains that leaders neglect real issues in favor of pipe dreams. Mayor Thomas Menino is fanning these critical flames with his vision for a new City Hall.

Some plans for the new waterfront facility include a tented area where visitors can listen to music, a new T stop at the location and an art gallery, according to a March 28 Boston Globe article.

Boston certainly needs an upgrade from its 40-year-old City Hall building. Its dingy hallways are not clearly marked and often leave visitors feeling lost. The air conditioning is sometimes inoperable.

In the new City Hall building, basic assets must be adequately provided. The proposed power-heating and cooling system should be installed, and the new facility must be welcoming for visitors with open spaces and a properly labeled layout.

But a marquee is a bit lavish. People do not need a flashing sign, which Menino’s vision includes, to tell them where to go. The extravagant entranceway only starts describing the mayor’s exorbitant plans.

Menino’s inconceivable ideas is his suggestion to build an underground MBTA station at the location. The MBTA could reach a $20 billion debt over the next three years. Perhaps leaders should consider addressing the MBTA’s financial problems before dreaming about a state-of-the-art City Hall.

Of course, City Hall should be a nice facility equipped for the functions it is meant to perform. But Menino seems to be forgetting the purpose of City Hall. It is an office where people go to conduct their city business. If they are looking for an art gallery, they will go to the Museum of Fine Arts. If they are looking for a park to relax in, they will go to the Boston Common — not City Hall.

And as online transactions become more prevalent, less and less business will need to happen at City Hall. Fewer people would even experience the modern building.

In an ideal world, it would be wonderful to see a City Hall that resembles a cultural town center. But Boston already has locations that serve these functions. The mayor hasn’t revealed a budget for the project, but if all the amenities are provided, it will be an expensive endeavor.

The city has too much else on its financial plate to waste funds. More than 15 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to a 2004 Indicators Project report. Boston can’t worry about luxury until it has handled necessity.