OTTUMWA —
It may not have been an easy project, but officials say they are pleased with the results of the main City Hall entrance.
“It gives a real good impression to visitors,” said Ottumwa Mayor Frank Flanders during a ceremony Friday.
City planner Dave Shafer called the Ottumwa City Hall entrance reconstruction project “extremely complex.” But they knew that going in. While under discussion 18 months ago, Shafer told the City Council what they were in for.
“Each component of the bridge and stairway (to the entrance) needs to be taken apart piece by piece,” Shafer said. “Each stone would then be measured and be ordered to that size.”
Shafer said every element has suffered significant deterioration due to water freezing, then thawing, then freezing over the course of 100 years. Additionally, the entire vault area of the entrance would need to be deconstructed with individual stone pieces being sent to match existing stone and color of the City Hall entrance.
Contractors were able to take the steps away, refurbish the original steps themselves and put them back on the entryway staircase.
The extensive stonework to the City Hall entrance was about $450,000, with about $230,000 coming from I-Jobs money. When the ribbon was cut to officially open the entrance on Fourth Street, the Evans Middle School marching band began playing the “Theme from Rocky.”
Contractor Rick Grooms of Grooms Construction described the job like an adventure, and told Friday’s audience it was an honor to work on the project. The building, originally a federal courthouse, was built from 1910-11.
“It’s a very significant, extensive project to complete,” Shafer said.
Tom Rodgers, city public information officer, had said their plans go back to the original architectural drawings from around 1909. Yet there were items, like a historic well, not listed on the 100-year-old plans.
Because of all the surprises, the job didn’t always go as quickly as anticipated. So Grooms on Friday apologized to the staff because he had told the ladies on the third floor that he was starting a “one-week demolition” project.
Rodgers, he said, had the difficult job of explaining why Grooms was still out there four weeks later with the entry blocked off.
Grooms and staff found some surprises, a hollowed-out part of the wall, an old horseshoe and the well, which nobody knew was there. The hole was on the ground floor beneath the Fourth Street steps. It had been covered with a manhole cover.
The well caught the attention of the public last year, and even Grooms, who has seen a lot of historical things in his career, found it interesting.
The well extended nearly three stories below the ground.
“That’s the riverbed down there,” Grooms told the Courier at the time. “A well is quite unusual, [but what] is not unusual on a job like this is to find unique things.”
Local News
Related Photos
-
The Evans Middle School Marching Band plays a special piece for the grand opening of the steps at City Hall: The Theme from Rocky. Officials called the project “complicated.” Mark Newman/The Courier
October 6, 2012
Steps taken to improve City Hall
- Local News
-
- Ottumwan bound for Oklahoma Red Cross' Holstrom to assist tornado victims OTTUMWA — “We do this because we love it; we love helping people through those tough times.” That’s the message from Brandon Holstrom who will travel to Moore, Okla. today to help those impacted by the tornado that has devastated that community. Hols
- Celebrating Eldon ELDON -- The annual festival celebrating the town of less than 1,000 ties the community's bonds tighter through a weekend of music, food, performances and tournaments. American Gothic Days will take over Eldon again June 7-9. "It's the town festival,
- Lawmakers: We work together for change DES MOINES — State representatives sounded happy Thursday after their session finally ended. But they weren't just happy to be going home. “I think it was a very successful session, where we kept the budget to a sustainable level,” said Larry Sheets,
- Memorial Day weekend typically calm for parks, law enforcement OTTUMWA — With summer unofficially kicking off this weekend, area officials ask those celebrating the holiday to have fun but stay safe. Parks Director Gene Rathje said while camping in Ottumwa Park began on April 1, this weekend is the site's first
- EBF students engage in community service EDDYVILLE - The Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont School Board learned this week about community service work students recently completed throughout the area. "The students did a great job. They were engaged in some service learning opportunities in Fremo
- Iowa school reform to be optional DES MOINES -- State officials hope educators, students and parents soon start seeing changes in the classroom. But only if they want to. Parts of Gov. Terry Branstad's "blueprint for education" have been approved. But like most major issues during th
-
Missing teen located, returned home
SIGOURNEY — The 13-year-old girl reported missing from Hedrick on Monday has been found. The teenager, Hunter Kopp, was located at a Sigourney residence around 10 p.m. Wednesday, said Keokuk County Sheriff Deputy Jeff Runnells. "The officers last nig
-
Ottumwa man charged with indecent exposure
OTTUMWA -- A man has been charged with indecent exposure after passers-by noticed a teenage girl in distress Monday afternoon. Angelo Nick Orfanos, 28, of Ottumwa, was charged with indecent exposure Wednesday as a result of an Ottumwa Police Departme
-
Stabbing trial pushed back
OTTUMWA -- The trial of an Ottumwa man accused of stabbing another man to death has been pushed back. Twenty-year-old Brandon Seim was charged in November 2011, when he was 18, with the stabbing death of Andy Madren, 34. When officers arrived at the
- Clarification ELDON -- It looked even worse in the light of day. A Wapello County farm damaged by high winds in the storm this week, neighbors had first believed, suffered some damage. But the situation is even worse, Eldon's mayor informed the Courier, saying tha
- More Local News Headlines
