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The Allen County commissioners gave the go-ahead Friday for exterior repairs at the Courthouse and construction of an outdoor shooting range southeast of town.
Work is set to begin on both projects in August.
General Restoration of Columbus, Ohio, offered the winning the bid of $1.3 million to repair the limestone, granite and terra cotta that form the historic Courthouse.
The engineer’s estimate was $1.4 million.
Commissioner Linda Bloom said she was surprised that seven companies bid on the project because of the specialized nature of the work. County officials and their consultants weren’t familiar with General Restoration and checked references before awarding the bid, she said.
Dan Freck, director of buildings and grounds, said he is confident the company will perform well.
General Restoration is expected to be in Fort Wayne next week to begin planning the scaffolding that will be needed to hoist workers to the top of the rotunda and the roof. Scaffolding construction will begin in August, Freck said.
Initial work will include cleaning the roofs, replacing the broken eagle’s head and cleaning the gargoyles and statues, Freck said.
Work will continue through December and resume in March. The project is expected to be finished in December 2010, Freck said.
One phase includes repair of masonry and terra cotta between Lady Liberty and the lower roof. A second phase will include repair and cleaning of the limestone from the cornice down. The granite foundation will also be repaired and cleaned.
A recent inspection of the 107-year-old building’s exterior revealed it is in no worse shape than expected for a building its age.
But water is leaking into the building, and officials want to protect the $8.6 million worth of repairs and renovations previously completed inside.
The repair work is meant to be routine maintenance to ensure the structure lasts, officials have said.
The commissioners also awarded a bid of $351,162 to Fleming Excavating to create the first of two shooting ranges planned at the sheriff’s outdoor training center at Adams Center and Paulding roads.
Sheriff Ken Fries is using $600,000 seized during a 2008 drug bust in Harlan to pay for the work.
He had hoped the money would pay for both a handgun and rifle range, but it was not enough.
Mark Van Allen, with engineering firm RQAW, said the company and county wanted to put together a feasible project and left out the rifle range because the sheriff didn’t have enough money to do both.
Fleming’s work will include stormwater improvements, including a detention pond, to ensure the eastern half of the 193-acre property doesn’t flood. That work will benefit future phases of the training center, Van Allen said.
Fries said he hopes to break ground in August.
The handgun range is the first phase to get under way. Plans call for classroom buildings, two driving tracks, plus ponds and wooded areas for police dog training.
