Scaffolding is up at Marin County Civic Center as crews prepare to replace the roof of the historic landmark.
The metal poles and wooden beams will be fully installed in two months around the administration wing and library dome, where the first phase of work will begin in March on the $17.8 million project.
“Because of the curvature of the roof, there are sections that can’t (be worked on) from the top,” said Patrick Zuroske, the county’s capital projects division manager. “We absolutely have to have scaffolding — we have to in order to access the edges of the roof that envelop the building.”
The Board of Supervisors last fall hired Arntz Builders of Novato to replace the roof of the 470,168-square-foot building — the largest public project by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The center’s 220,000-square-foot roof underwent major repairs in 1999 and 2000, with several smaller leak repairs required since then. In 2015 it was determined that repairs were no longer a solution and that the roof needed to be replaced to preserve the building.
Roof replacement will require removal of all old material and application of a new polyurethane membrane. It will be resistant to fire and high winds, will be easy to maintain and comes with a 20-year warranty, according to the county.
The project will be completed in two phases. Phase one work at the administration wing and library dome is expected to wrap up late fall. After scaffolding is installed at the longer Hall of Justice at the center’s northern end, roof replacement will begin along that segment in spring 2019.
Attention will then turn to refurbishing the Civic Center’s signature skylights.
“We will inspect the framing system and refurbish it and rehab it,” Zuroske said.
Roger Leventhal, who works at the Civic Center, said he is glad to see work getting underway.
“It seems like a good idea; it’s leaking,” he said. “You have to fix roofs every once in a while.”
The public’s patience will be needed during the project. Scaffolding and other equipment will take up two parking spaces near the building’s south arch and another two parking spots near the middle arch. The library may change the location of its drop-off box under the south arch. All entry areas will remain fully accessible.
“It’s never easy to show up or to come to the Civic Center when portions are under construction, but we’re excited to be able to add this new improvement to the Civic Center,” Zuroske said.
