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Blair courthouse still faces list of repairs

HOLLIDAYSBURG —  As the scaffolding comes down in front of the Blair County Courthouse, it’s easier to catch a glimpse of  copper sheeting used in rooftop repairs because it shines like a new penny.

But a lot of repair work done this summer has occurred beneath the rooftop, including the most recent effort resulting in an $8,263 bill for gusset work on the Allegheny Street side where sections of the courthouse meet.

“It was an unforeseen situation,” county Director of Public Works Rocky Greenland told commissioners last week when addressing the bill. “Until they tore the roof off, they didn’t know how bad it was.”

The extra work included the replacement of roof truss ends, which were damaged by water leaks.

They were just “rotted away,” Greenland said.

Commissioner Terry Tomassetti saw a similar condition in September when he accompanied Greenland to an area beneath the courthouse roof.

“He showed me what decades of water passing over a steel bar can do,” Tomassetti said at a recent commissioners meeting where he presented a foam plate containing small pieces of a rusted material.

It’s like crumbling burnt bacon, the commissioner said.

Earlier this year, commissioners authorized two major contracts totaling just over $1 million to address water leaking into the courthouse. Masonry Preservation Services of Bloomsburg repaired and repointed the front towers and GSM Roofing of Ephrata replaced the tower roofs and addressed the drainage system. GSM also took on roof repairs to address leakage on the Union Street side of the courthouse.

“Everything seems to be dried out with the new flashings,” Greenland reported recently to commissioners.

But as this year’s work wraps up, the options for next year are stacking up.

Commissioners have been advised to consider replacing the roof on the 1906 portion of the courthouse, which borders the rear alley. They’re also looking at work to address that area’s deteriorated dormers, wooden windows and drainage routes.

In addition, the county has received a study from Pyramid Engineering, which evaluated Courtroom 2’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Based off its age of 30-plus years and the poor quality of air being provided, the system should be replaced, the study concluded.

“The ductwork and air handlers have reached the end of their life expectancies,” Pyramid Engineering representative John Solarczyk concluded.

So how much longer will they last, Commissioner Ted Beam Jr. asked Solarczyk when he was presenting a summary of the report. Solarczyk offered no promises and advised: “It should be on the to-do list.”

Much of the system dates back to a 1980 installation, with some retrofitting undertaken in 1996 that was tied into the courthouse expansion project and underground geothermal heating system.

The report offered no price tag associated with a replacement of the system mostly contained in the attic above the courtroom ceiling. But any decision on replacing that system could have an impact on what’s next for Courtroom 2. A nearly $900,000 proposal consolidating the repair of the courtroom’s water-damaged walls with a plan to refinish the courtroom ceiling has been on hold since it was first introduced in July.

And installation of a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system may or may not require cutting into the ceiling. That would be considered during the design work, Tomassetti said.

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