Westmoreland courthouse's repairs to cost $11,000 extra

Westmoreland County is leaking money trying to restore two courtrooms and adjacent offices in the historic courthouse, and the costs keep pouring in.

County commissioners this week learned that an additional $11,000 worth of work is needed to fix water damage in two courtrooms on the fourth floor of the century-old building in downtown Greensburg. The additional allocation will increase the cost of the project by more than 60 percent.

And that still won't finish the job.

"There are water leaks we've been trying to find. We were getting an awful lot of water in," county engineer Mel Wohlgemuth said Tuesday.

In December, the initial cost came in $2,000 under budget to fix the original terracotta roof and ornate masonry in the courtrooms. Chunks from the masonry ceiling had crashed down into the courtroom, and 22-karat gold leaf work in the courtrooms needed to be restored.

The cost of that $33,800 project went up two weeks later when work crews from Ringler Restoration found more peeling paint and additional repairs were needed to restore murals in the courtrooms.

County commissioners this week will be asked to authorize $11,878 to Ringler to pay for the remaining courtroom paint and plaster repairs. That allocation will raise the project cost to $55,610.

Wohlgemuth said major repairs are needed, though, to plug leaks that enable water to rain down in the jury room of Judge John Blahovec. Other leaks and water damage need to be addressed in an office in the judge's chambers.

"We hope to use (federal) stimulus money to fix those leaks. It will cost a lot, a considerable amount of money," Wohlgemuth said. "There is no risk to jurors. It's just up on the ceiling."

He said workers are still trying to determine where the leaks are and how they should be repaired.

Wohlgemuth said he has no cost estimates but wants to have the work started this winter.

Blahovec said yesterday the county should have repaired all of the damage more than a year ago in preparation of the building's century celebration in early 2008.

"I'm at the point where the jury room is unusable. I'm going to have to find other accommodations. I can't put jurors in a room where the tile is coming down," he said.