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Timothy Klusczinski, President,_ Historic Preservation Commission — Sep. 17, 2012 page 5 Ziolkowski Construction, Inc.: Finally, also enclosed are two bids requested by the Library from Ziolkowski Construction, Inc. of South Bend, IN, a base bid and an alternate bid. Ziolkowski has a division in its company that specializes in terra cotta restoration. This report states that for both bids the company will provide labor, equipment and material to perform the following work on the Avon theatre: Base Bid: $96,560 1. Remove all terra cotta from the east fagade from the storefront windows to the coping cap. 2. Photograph and document each piece of terra cotta. 3. Crate all terra cotta for future use. 4. Deliver crates to storage area of the Library's choice. Alternate Bid: $51,507 1. Clean all terra cotta with water and restoration cleaner. 2. Replace four (4) pieces with new terra cotta 3. Patch remaining terra cotta as necessary with Jahn Stone Repair Mortar from Cathedral Stone Products. Total Cost for Base Bid and Alternate Bid: $148,067 Falling Terra Cotta Incident: As stated earlier, one solid terra cotta stone, a capstone that was located at the very top of the building, weighing about 8.5 lbs., broke loose just after the Frost Engineering inspection was completed (sometime between August 19th when its inspection was completed and August 21s' when the stone was discovered on the ground) and dropped to the sidewalk below on S. Michigan Street. The piece would have killed or seriously injured anyone standing directly below it when it fell. Many people park in the surface parking lot next to the Avon and use this sidewalk to get to and from work. This lot is also heavily used by the public during major downtown events, such as Art Beat, 1St Fridays, and St. Patrick's Day celebrations. This presents a serious hazard for many people who park their vehicles on this lot. As soon as we discovered the fallen piece, our Facilities Manager, Dave Woodcox, notified the City and a City street crew cordoned off the sidewalk in front of the Avon. Some have questioned why the 8.5 lb. terra cotta stone did not shatter after falling from such a height (about 30 ft.). This piece of terra cotta is not a thin 1" thick tile like the others on the facade, but a solid piece of capstone that is 4" by 5" square by 9" long. This stone is much thicker than the tile pieces that cover the facade. I have learned that, as a kiln -fired, man-made material, terra cotta is fired at much higher temperatures to a hardness and compactness not obtainable with common brick. Also, the fall may have been slowed down if the piece struck the face of the building on its way down, such as a windowsill or one of the protruding terra cotta moldings. What appears to be a small, fresh break that is about 1" square is on the heavier top edge of the piece of terra cotta. This is probably where it first struck the sidewalk. Recipient of the 2009 Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence www.library_forlife.org