VENTURA COUNTY ROUNDUP : Ventura : Firm to Inspect City Hall Damage
The face of the 87-year-old City Hall building is apparently succumbing to the indignities of age, as well as mold, moisture and salt.
The city has contracted with M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates Inc., a Sacramento-based construction firm, at an estimated cost of $102,000 to inspect each of the white terra cotta tiles that cover the face of City Hall.
“The building was built in 1912, and it’s the premier building in the city,” Mayor Jim Friedman said. “Unfortunately, it does wear down a bit, and we have to put money into it to keep it as beautiful and pristine as we possibly can.
“It is a landmark, and we want to take care of our landmark.”
Monday, Project Manager Don Edwards of the Public Works Department and Thang Tran, the project’s engineer, walked in the shadow of the towering, white walls and pointed out where cracks, mold and salt deposits have caused damage to the facade’s surface. Worse, moisture has seeped into the mortar between the terra cotta tiles, bubbling and cracking portions of the exterior.
“We’re trying to catch it in time to preserve it instead of replace it,” Edwards said.
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