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City Hall renovation uncovers hidden structural problems, completion pushed into late summer
Summary
Contractors reported multiple hidden conditions—including failing masonry in the mayor’s office and a damaged sanitary stub—driving several change orders and pushing the substantial completion date to August–September; city staff say contingency and future furniture budgets will be affected.
Contractors working on Georgetown City Hall told the City Council on April 28 that a string of hidden conditions discovered during construction has increased costs and delayed the project. Elizabeth Hunt, director of architecture for the project, said crews uncovered unexpected structural elements and deteriorated systems that required new plans and additional work.
“We found steel columns where we didn't know we had them. We found brick walls where we thought we had wood stud walls,” Hunt said, adding that crews also uncovered original hardwood floors and gel-sill windows that will be restored rather than replaced. Hunt said five change orders have already been approved and four additional change-order requests are being priced.
The council heard that a sanitary sewer stub outside the building has failed; construction staff said about 60 feet of the outside sanitary line is in poor condition and likely needs replacement. Davis, the Codell Construction project manager, told the council the line was filled with debris when crews ran a camera and recommended replacement.
A separate and more costly problem surfaced in the mayor’s office area: masonry cracks above and below windows on two exterior walls. Brian McMillan, structural engineer with Brown and Cubicand, explained the failure as long-term movement where heavy masonry sits over wood headers. “Although it is stable right now, it's not a condition we can consider structurally sound as is,” McMillan said. Engineers proposed steel reinforcement that would “sandwich” the failing wall with internal and external plates; the exterior plates will be finished to blend with the façade.
Contract staff gave the council a preliminary accounting of recent pricing: about $18,000 for a revision to the fire-department connection and roughly $4,000 for the short sanitary repair effort; the mayor’s-office structural stabilization and related bulletins remain under review with larger, still-unfinalized pricing. Hunt said the original construction contract plus contingency and FF&E (furniture, fixtures & equipment) funding started as a combined figure of $775,041.25; the project team is trying to preserve a $250,000–$300,000 minimum for FF&E even while change orders draw on contingency.
On schedule, the contractor reported a contractual completion currently set for Aug. 15; staff said remaining issues and a likely time extension for the fire-department connection could move practical finishing into August–September. Project manager Kaye Sidwell said ceilings, window installation, elevator shaft work and drywall are progressing and that once ceiling grids and sprinkler piping are complete, finishing work will advance rapidly.
Council members pressed for detail about cost impacts and the remaining contingency; Hunt said two bulletins tied to the mayor’s office and other hidden conditions are still being priced and will be brought to the council in coming weeks. Council members also noted the budget line for city hall furnishings and asked staff to preserve funds for FF&E where possible.
The city is treating the structural repairs as necessary to protect the historic building and to avoid future failures. Staff said they will return to council with final change-order pricing, recommended funding sources and an updated project schedule.
