Additional expenses push Little Rock board chamber renovation to $810k

GETTING A MAKEOVER: Little Rock city directors have not been in their chambers for many years.
Brian Chilson

The conference room at Little Rock City Hall remains in the middle of getting a transformation.

Changing an HVAC system, cleaning up brick walls, maintaining initial tile floors and installing crown molding to closely match an existing style in the Little Rock Board of Directors chambers at City Hall will cost an additional $315,340, according to a resolution the board passed at a Tuesday meeting.

City authorities have actually not been satisfying in their normal chambers considering that COVID-19 pandemic procedures required social distancing. For more than 3 years now, the board has collected at the Centre at University of Park on 12th Street. The space they fulfill in is big, and it is meant to be a public usage area, not a boardroom.

The funds approved Tuesday amended a previous construction contract the group authorized in March amounting to $322,622. Tuesday's vote increased the contract with HYDCO to $637,962. The group had actually also previously authorized $173,000 for brand-new innovation as part of the restoration.
Advertisement
City authorities were expected to get back in their chambers over the summer season, but the discovery of HVAC problems and asbestos postponed the restoration..

" During the early phase of the demolition procedure, asbestos was found in the tile flooring that had been covered many years ago by carpets," according to a city file. "Once the tile was gotten rid of, the original ceramic tile floor covering was found and in an effort to protect the historical stability of the structure, it was figured out that the tile needed to be cleaned up and fixed.".
Advertisement.
The present HVAC system is insufficient for the parts of City Hall it services, a city document mentioned. If it is not replaced, the "convenience and indoor air quality for the new conference room will be inadequate, especially throughout peak seasons.".

Together, the authorized cost for the remodelling now totals more than $810,000.