Schuylkill courthouse roof bid awarded
Schuylkill County will spend $751,280 to replace the slate courthouse roof with a synthetic slate-look roof.
During a meeting Wednesday, the commissioners awarded the bid to J.M. Young & Sons Inc., of Belleville.
County Administrator Gary Bender said that the work should start within the month, with the firm starting the work by putting up scaffolding. The courthouse will lose some parking places while the work is ongoing.
“It’s a temporary inconvenience for a long-term improvement,” Bender said.
The project includes replacement of the courthouse’s slate roof, as well as recovering a section which is flat, topped with a rubber roof. The main courthouse structure, which measures 100 feet by 195 feet, was built in 1891.
At a previous meeting, Bender said some leaks are occurring where nails used to hold the slate have failed. The new roof will include a railing and copper drains.
The commissioners also approved a change order for $7,491 for Perrotto Builders, a firm working on renovations to the Human Services Building, 410 N. Centre St., Pottsville. The change order is for labor and materials for a parapet tie-in. Perrotto and Antz Energy Systems have worked weekends to complete the renovations to the public defender’s office.
In response to a question from Commissioner Gary Hess, Bender said that the project will still come in under budget.
The county budgeted $2.9 million for the work. When completed, the Human Services building will house the county’s Drug & Alcohol and Mental Health agencies, the public defender’s office and the office of District Judge James Reiley.
Until 2016 the building was home for the county’s Children & Youth Services Agency. C&Y outgrew the building and moved across Laurel Boulevard to the former home of Empire Beauty School, a building that the county bought and renovated.
“The employees are excited to be moving in,” Chairman George Halcovage said. “We as a board are working hard on long-range capital projects, to keep the county well-positioned for the future.”