Following the secession of Ortuella from Santurtzi, the present Town Hall was built between 1903 and 1905. An eclectic building inspired by the lines of the second French empire, it was designed by Emiliano Pagazaurtundua. The mentioned segregation was motivated by the increase in population due to the mining boom of the late nineteenth century, with the district of Ortuella the largest population of the Council of Santurce.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Santurtzi managed to consolidate its status as a city for the new industrial bourgeoisie. Thus, the new Town Hall building tried to respond to a twofold intention: giving a greater enhancement to the municipality and creating a practical and modern building that solved the most immediate needs.
Standing beside the Town Hall is the monument to Cristóbal Murrieta y Mello, a major public figure who had a huge influence on the development of Santurtzi. In the centre is a sculpture of the benefactor himself, flanked by two figures representing the foundations that he set up: a nun for the Hijas de la Cruz [Daughters of the Cross] and a seaman for the Escuela Náutica de Santurtzi [Santurtzi Nautical Training School].