Renovations are moving forward at the Memorial Opera House and the former Porter County sheriff's residence. The masonry project at the Opera House is substantially complete, including roofing work on the two turrets. Any remaining cleanup should be done by the end of the month.
Representatives with construction manager Skillman recently told the county commissioners that interior renovations are set to begin in late May, after the spring show. The commissioners are expected to award bids for general trades, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work next week, while the finishes package will be bid out soon.
At the sheriff's residence, county facilities director Daniel Sullivan said asbestos was found in the basement. "This came up because we were remediating mold," Sullivan explained to the commissioners. "We were looking to get rid of anything that could create mold down there, including wood. When we removed the paneling, the wood paneling, which was moldy, unfortunately, we discovered this."
The commissioners hired M&O Environmental to do a complete remediation of the asbestos and lead paint, at a cost of $11,950. Sullivan said simply sealing the asbestos wouldn't be cost-effective, since the county plans to do tuck pointing work at some point.
Additionally, design work continues for future upgrades to the county jail and the county highway garage in Valparaiso.