Latest Logan County Courthouse restoration, treasurer’s drop boxes and Scully Park fountain plans

 

[July 09, 2021] 

At the Logan County Building and Grounds Committee meeting Tuesday, July 6, committee members heard updates on the courthouse restoration process and bid specifications.

Committee members present were committee chairman David Blankenship, Board Chairman Emily Davenport, Janet Estill, David Hepler, Scott Schaffenacker and Jim Wessbecher.

Project Manager Bill Walter of Masonry Restoration Technology and Services provided several updates on the work. Next week, the steel scaffolding will be done. Walter is making an assessment as to whether the cupola at the top of the dome can be taken off for restoration. It would be restored in a shop.

In the next four or five weeks, Walter said the dome scaffolding encapsulation will be completed. In five or six weeks, they hope there will be a contractor under contract to begin dome restoration.

The specifications for the dome restoration are 90 to 95 percent complete. Within a week, Walter said he hopes the specifications will be ready for contractors to submit bids on. The hope is that the encapsulation will be completed at the same time the bids are awarded to a contractor to do the restoration. Walter said the Construction Technical Committee and the Building and Grounds Committee will soon be presented with the final documents.

Blankenship asked Walter to address timing aspect due to concerns expressed about time it has taken to get the dome encapsulated.

Covid and a series of events have caused some delays in getting scaffolding and steel. With costs and transportation issues, Walter said they had to wait almost five weeks on steel. They had to get additional steel beams, too, but Walter said the additional support will better tolerate the breezes we tend to get in this part of the state.

Walter and the Construction Technical Committee are still working with CTS on specifications, drawings and plans for the performance contract and the construction management contract.

The performance contract will cover the HVAC system and other energy related issues. The construction management contract will cover the repair of the facilities. Walter said that will include plumbing, electrical, flooring inside, exterior facade and roof repairs. Everything is separate from the dome repair, which Walter said is being handled independently.

Blankenship said CTS will be doing a power point presentation for the committee and board in upcoming weeks. This presentation will include a priority list for the board’s approval. The presentation will also give the board a good sense of the schedule.
 

Design specifications for office spaces are 80 percent done. Blankenship said that means they have an idea of what may need to be moved or adjusted in these areas.

The geothermal test boring has been completed, but Walter said he is still waiting on test results from the bore sample.

A computer diagnostic company needs to look at the information and track it. Walter hopes to know soon if geothermal is the route to take for the HVAC system.

The board may vote on the approval of the specifications at the end of the month.

Other updates

The committee received a proposal and location for the drop boxes that will be used for dropping off payments for the treasurer’s office.

After speaking with five contractors who expressed interest in the project, Walter said Elite Construction presented the most favorable response. Their prices for doing the work were very competitive. He recommended utilizing their services.

Blankenship said the textured block that will surround the drop boxes will nearly match the courthouse sandstone.
 

These boxes were initially going to be placed on the east and south side of the courthouse. However, Blankenship said the north side may be better than the east side because of the flow of traffic into the courthouse.

Hepler motioned to proceed with work on the drop boxes on the north and south side.

For the work on the Scully Park fountain, Walter said Elite Construction’s costs are the most reasonable. Elite Construction has two decades of experience in landscaping, fountains and lighting for parks and recreation areas. Walter said the company seems to have a good grasp of what is wanted, needed and can be produced for a reasonable cost.

Walter and Elite Construction have gone over the fundamentals as far as evacuating the existing system and making it into a more modern system that incorporates LED lights that are more streamlined with pumps.

To repair the fountain, Walter said Elite Construction will pull it apart and do concrete replacement. Inside the fountain, they will do concrete changes to incorporate three basins for three separate fountains. The existing fountain will be restored, and two smaller ones added.

As they restore the fountain, Elite Construction will put decorative epoxy coating on the inside and decorative textured coating on the perimeter and retaining wall. Walter said the original fountain will also be raised up around two or three feet.

LED lighting will go around the fountain railing. Blankenship said these lights will shine on all three fountains and change colors.

If there is something the county wants to see added or changed as the work is done, Walter said there is a cushion built into the funding.

Davenport motioned to proceed with the work.

[Angela Reiners]