Secretary Daniels Announces State Capitol Roof Reparation Project
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2008
Gov. Beebe releases general improvement funds for project
LITTLE ROCK, AR—Secretary Daniels today announced a project to repair the lower roof of the Arkansas State Capitol. The 20-year-old roof is in need of repair after being worn by the elements and undergoing numerous temporary patches for leaks.
The project will consist of peeling back the roofing layers, installing a waterproof membrane, then finishing with a layer of concrete and composite roof materials. The northwest quadrant of the roof was repaired last month while crews completed the stonework project on the Capitol’s west façade, leaving three remaining quadrants to be completed.
The entire roof reparation project is estimated to cost $546,808, including $148,962 in leftover funds from the $1.2 million Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC) grant to restore and repair the exterior stonework on two-thirds of the west side of the State Capitol building. The remaining funds will come out of $307,568 in general improvement funds released June 30 by Governor Mike Beebe for this project.
Since 2003, the Secretary of State’s office has requested over $10 million in general improvement funds to repair and restore the Capitol building. The requests were approved, but no funds were made available. As a result, the Capitol’s restoration projects have been tied solely to limited grant funding from the ANCRC, until Governor Beebe’s release of general improvement funds for this much-needed project.
“I commend Governor Beebe for allocating general improvement dollars towards the maintenance of our irreplaceable and beloved State Capitol,” Daniels said. “An investment in restoration and repair of this building is one we cannot afford to ignore. I want the State Capitol to look just as magnificent 50 years from now as it did over 90 years ago when it was new. Its significance and symbolism is timeless.”
The State Capitol building took 16 years to construct, with work completed in 1915. As the historic landmark nears its centennial birthday, Secretary Daniels hopes to finish much of the major repair work to the exterior limestone with available grant funds and appropriations from the state legislature. Preventative maintenance will be a key factor in preserving and protecting the building for generations to come.
Secretary Daniels has initiated many other Capitol building improvement projects including the cleaning and repair of the Capitol’s north and west entrance stonework, the restoration of the grand east promenade with original landscaping, the renovation of the first floor Capitol Visitors Center, and the restoration of the Capitol’s limestone dome. For these efforts, Secretary Daniels was recognized with a 2007 Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas Excellence in Preservation Award.
Low bidder Ketcher & Co, Inc. will begin work on the southeast quadrant of the lower roof this month, with work expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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Contact: Natasha Naragon
Phone: (501) 683-1441
Email: natasha.naragon@sos.arkansas.gov
Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels
256 State Capitol Building
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: (501) 682-1010
Website: www.sos.ar.gov
Email: arsos@sos.ar.gov
