Bond could seal deal to fix leaky courthouse dome

But a solution could be just around the corner. A long-delayed bond package is up for a vote on Nov. 3. Within that package, $25 million would be dedicated to a renovation of the courthouse, including figuring out how to repair the leaky dome without damaging the historic structure.

Facility staff members monitor the leak as part of routine inspections and so far the water has not caused any major damage to the structure or affected any office space, said Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.

“If there was any threat to the dome, obviously we would take action,” Huckelberry said.

Noting the courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, he said the county would “do nothing to alter the exterior appearance of the building itself or the dome.”

The leaks are small, but water is penetrating and “tiny rust spots” have appeared inside the tower under the dome, said Pima County Director of Facilities Management Michael Kirk.

If voters approve the bond package, the county would send out a request for proposals to architects and contractors capable of the “very delicate work,” he said.

Now that county departments have moved out of the building and into the new courts complex, preservationists recently had their first chance to do a walk-through and discuss repairs, said Linda Mayro, director of sustainability and preservation at the county.

“We need to figure out how it was built in order to find a good fix,” she said, adding a goal of the repairs would be to preserve the “integrity of workmanship.”

The general idea is to remove each tile, number it, photograph it, make the repairs to the structure, and then replace each tile in its original spot, Kirk said. However, county staff would defer to the expertise of the few people in the country who know how to fix historic domes.

“This will be a very exciting project,” Kirk said. “There are not too many structures like this in Tucson, or even Arizona.”

The cost of repairing the dome has not yet been determined, Huckelberry said.

The courthouse renovation includes a multitude of changes, including the replacement of the electrical and air conditioning systems, according to a project scope document provided by the County Administrator’s Office.

“The project scope requires a full spectrum of historic preservation construction expertise and craftsmanship,” the document states. In addition to the dome repairs, the roof would be replaced and the county would repair stucco and cast stone, among other upgrades.

The project also would create spaces on the first floor to house the Art of the American West collection from the Tucson Museum of Art and a memorial to the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting.

The top two floors of the dome tower, which have not been used for many years, could be converted into conference rooms, Huckelberry said.