Monday, August 22, 2016
YOUNGSTOWN
The $6 million, two-year restoration of the 1911-vintage Mahoning County Courthouse likely will be completed by Oct. 31, a month later than planned, an architect told the county commissioners.
That’s because three more shipments of terra cotta, which is fired clay masonry, are due, with the last one expected to arrive here in mid-September, explained Architect Paul Ricciuti, a consultant to the county.
The replacement terra cotta is coming from Boston Valley Terra Cotta of Orchard Park, N.Y., near Buffalo, one of only two terra cotta makers in the nation.
“The product we’re getting from Boston Valley is unbelievable. It is world class terra cotta,” Ricciuti said Thursday.
“We have done this project with no change orders,” he told the commissioners.
“I think that’s exceptional,” in the case of a 105-year-old building, observed Commissioner Anthony Traficanti.
The front facade of the courthouse is now enshrouded in scaffolding from the sidewalk to the roof, awaiting arrival of a crane that will occupy the southbound curb lane of Market Street.
The crane will lift granite blocks out of the statue pedestal and place them on the building’s roof.
Pedestrians won’t be allowed to walk under the crane boom while lifting is occurring, Bob Mutsko, project superintendent with VIP Restoration Inc. of Cleveland, said during a recent meeting of architects and construction contractors working on the project.
While the granite blocks are removed, a rusted support beam will be replaced, and all the beams will be cleaned and painted.
Carol Rimedio-Righetti, chairwoman of the county commissioners, said she wants the copper statues displayed at ground level in front of the courthouse the morning before they are returned to their perch on the courthouse roof.
After the statues are returned to their pedestal, roof replacement will be the final phase of the project.
As for the new $3.8 million county dog shelter now under construction at 1230 N. Meridian Road in Austintown, Ricciuti told the commissioners the building’s footers were installed in recent days.
A contractor installing a new water-supply line to the site from the east side of Meridian Road has encountered rock, which has complicated that project, Ricciuti said.
The new 14,212-square-foot shelter will replace the existing 40-year-old, 9,000-square-foot county dog pound on Industrial Road.
The new, single-story shelter will be able to house 80 to 90 dogs when it opens about a year from now, compared with the current pound’s 50-60-dog capacity.