Art center to revamp stairs

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — The Charles City Art Center should be getting its stairs redone before RAGBRAI riders arrive in July.

The Charles City Council approved plans Monday evening for the stairs to be repaired by taking the existing stones and removing the mortar around them, then turning over the stones and adding new mortar.

The repairs are coming at a good time, because the Art Center hosts several children’s classes, and the children are apt to play on the stairs, said Charles City Art Center Director Jacqueline Davidson.

“The children like to use the rails as monkey bars,” Davidson said. “We’ve had to repair them a number of times because the kids like when they’re loose.”

Davidson said she hopes that kids won’t be interested in playing on the new design.

“This is a wonderful building,” Davidson said. The Art Center is a Carnegie building and was built in 1904. It is listed on the National Registry of Historical Buildings.

Prior to the repairs Davidson is advising children coming to the Art Center to use the entrance along Kelly Street, she said.

There are gaps in the mortar between the stone stairs and the mortar itself is starting to deteriorate, said Charles City Engineer John Fallis.

Fallis’ office has worked with RDG Planning and Design, an architectural firm that has worked on Carnegie buildings before, he said.

“They have a good relationship with the State Historical Preservation Office,” Fallis said.

The State Historical Preservation Office determines whether cities are able to get grants for repairs for historical buildings in the state. The office is part of the National Park Service.

The repairs to the Art Center are going to be city-funded, and estimated to cost $30,000, Fallis said.

“We want to make sure we’re maintaining the integrity of the building, of the historical significance of it,” Fallis said. “The plan is to remove that stone and set it aside.”

The existing stone has become worn over years from use, so the side that hasn’t been used will become the new tread for the stairs, Fallis said.

“The joints will be refilled so it will be tight again,” Fallis said.

The hand rail will also be replaced, with a new center railing put in, Fallis said.

Cement stairs below the stone ones will need to be replaced.

No bids have been received on the project, and bidding for the project ended March 30, Fallis said.

“Now what we have to do is reach back out to contractors,” Fallis said.

A new date for bidding hasn’t been established.

The work required for the repair is more specialized than other city contracts, so finding the right contractor is more difficult, Fallis said.

“We know that there are contractors that are interested. They had some issues at the time,” Fallis said. “Depending on what we hear back, we may have to re-evaluate the schedule and the timing.”

The art center, which was formally the Charles City library, was built from funds donated by Andrew Carnegie.

“The deal was, as long as the building’s standing you have to keep it in good shape,” Davidson said. “It’s extremely well built. It’s very hard to work on.”