Press release from Allen County Government:
Courthouse Exterior Project Nears Completion
Work expected to be finished within the next six weeks(September 22, 2010) – The scaffolding has been removed and most of the heavy equipment is gone from around the Allen County Courthouse. And as the two-year exterior preservation project moves into the “home stretch,” work will now focus on repairing and waterproofing the perimeter of the historic 108-year-old structure.
This week, weather permitting, crews from General Restoration Corporation will begin the process of replacing landscaping in front of the Courthouse’s north, west and south sides with concrete. The result will be a look similar to when the Courthouse was originally constructed in the early 1900s.
“The main focus of this project has been to repair and extend the life of the masonry façade of the Courthouse,” said Fritz Herget, president of ARSEE Engineers, Inc. “That includes the granite band at the base of the wall. Going back to the original design of a concrete sidewalk around the base of the Courthouse will help minimize further deterioration of the granite.”
While plans for the perimeter on the east side are still being discussed, Herget said the intention is to maintain the symmetry with the green space of the Courthouse Plaza.
The base work is expected to take approximately six weeks. Work to repair and waterproof the tunnel leading from the Courthouse to the City-County Building will be going on at the same time.
Phase one of the $1.4 million preservation project was completed last year and involved the “tower” of the Courthouse, including the dome, lantern and areas above the flat roof of the building. Phase two started this spring and covered the joint and limestone repair from the ground level up to the flat roof and the work along the Courthouse perimeter.
The Courthouse Preservation Trust plans to schedule an event commemorating the completion of the project in the near future.
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