Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks & Recreation Department

DATE:	June 20, 2013
TO:	Dave Corliss, City Manager,
	Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager
	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager
	Ernie Shaw, Interim Director Parks & Recreation
FROM:	Mark Hecker, Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation
RE:	Carnegie Building Roof Repair

Please include the following item on the City Commission agenda for consideration:

Authorize the Parks & Recreation Department to send out a request for proposals (RFP) for construction services needed to install a new roofing system and restoration of the parapet wall on the oldest section of the Carnegie Building.  

Project Description

The roof and parapet wall on the oldest section of the Carnegie Building are in need of replacement / repair to assure the building remains waterproof. This roof was not part of the  2010 renovation project that was completed on this building.

The restoration of the parapet walls and re-roofing project has been under evaluation for more than a year. Early in 2012, the City paid DGM Consultants to inspect the damage to the roof and the upper parapet walls. DGM Consultants were involved in the recent rehabilitation of the Douglas County Court House in Lawrence and are well known for their work on historic buildings. The attached field report revealed a number of significant issues with the parapet wall that are causing most of the roofing issues. The wall is leaning inward and has a number of openings in the mortar joints, which is allowing water to penetrate the building. The moisture has entered the wall and has found its way under the roofing material, causing the failure of the roofing system. The DGM report has been sent to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review.  The long-term recommendations for repair of the parapet walls were approved by the SHPO in late 2012.

In the summer of 2012, minor repairs were made to temporarily waterproof the roof. To correct the problem long-term, the report calls for the upper parapet walls to be disassembled, saving the existing bricks and cap stones, rebuilding the wall with concrete blocks and then face it with the original brick and stones. After the walls are reconstructed, proper flashing and a new roof membrane can be installed to complete the waterproofing of the structure. At the current time, there are a number of decorative cap stones along the top of the parapet wall that are missing the needed mortar to properly secure them to the wall. These stones need to be removed in the near future, so they do not fall when high winds occur. However, their removal will further deteriorate the waterproofing of the wall without completing the necessary restoration stated above. 

We are currently in the final stage of the project, in which we need to select a qualified company to complete the work. All contractors working on the project will have to be preapproved by State Historic Preservation Office with adequate references and experience on historic structures.

We will continue to work with Lynne Zollner, historic resources administrator for the City, to assure this renovation project meets all SHPO requirements for this historic structure.

Project Funding

Funding source will be established after review of proposals.

This project is eligible for tax credit (attached application).

Project Calendar

It is estimated this work will take two to three months to complete. If contractors are available, we would like to start this project in late September and have it completed by early December.

Action Request

The City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department staff requests approval from the City Commission to send out a request for proposals (RFP) for construction services needed to install a new roofing system and restoration of the parapet wall on the oldest section of the Carnegie Building. 

Thank you for your assistance.  Please advise if you have any questions.