The exterior restoration of the 1911 Heritage Courthouse is complete! Gallery 2 is pleased to take the lead in maintaining this beautiful building and making it look fabulous. In case you were wondering, here is a reminder of what it looked like before we started. Thanks to the great project team – MSC Enterprises, Grant Mattick, Hydraclean, Chinook Scaffolding, Chalmers Heritage Conservation, and Ravenstone Masonry & Conservation – we could not have done it without you. Special thanks to the City of Grand Forks Public Works department for the final site cleanup.
Over the past few months, members of the project team have: assembled the scaffold, labeled and documented the existing windows, removed old flashing and window vents, cleaned the window frames, stripped and abated several layers of lead paint, made repairs to the wood, resealed all of the windows (70 in total), cleaned the frames again, lightly sanded them, applied an initial coat of linseed oil followed by three coats of paint, steam cleaned the entire building and perimeter fence, repaired mortar, removed and rebuilt bricks, stabilized and repointed the granite caps on the building, installed custom, 14 foot tempered glass storm windows to protect the stained glass, cleaned the windows again, and colour matched and replaced the window vents. Not bad for a not-for-profit gallery society if we do say so!
On June 13, Grand Forks City Council approved fully funding the masonry restoration project scope with an additional $66,500 from the slag reserve fund. The extensive scaffolding required for the project provides a great opportunity to address preventive maintenance of our shared civic heritage and invest in the long-term viability of a key City asset.
Work on the exterior restoration of the 1911 Heritage Courthouse is proceeding as planned. The window project team have completed 90% of the lead paint removal and abatement, and all of the second floor windows have been repaired, caulked, and painted. We anticipate completion of the window scope by July 22, allowing time for the paint to cure properly. Masonry cleaning and conservation will begin on August 15, and the new storm windows for the entry stained glass will be installed in mid-September. The scaffolding is scheduled for removal during the last week of September.
Gallery 2 is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced individuals or firms for conservation cleaning and rehabilitation of the brick and masonry exterior of 1911 Heritage Courthouse building located at 524 Central Avenue in Grand Forks, British Columbia. Project scope includes cleaning with low pressure steam and performing repairs as outlined in the provided condition assessment. Masonry work is required to commence on August 15, 2022, and must be complete by September 16, 2022.
Masonry Conservation RFP
Masonry Condition Assessment
This spring, Gallery 2 is embarking on a major exterior restoration and conservation project of the 1911 Heritage Courthouse that we call home. Through the Province of British Columbia’s Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP), Gallery 2 obtained a $260,000 capital grant for restoration of the exterior windows. The City of Grand Forks secured an additional $60,000 for exterior masonry cleaning and conservation through CERIP. For the first time in a generation, there is dedicated provincial funding for heritage building restoration and conservation, often overlooked but essential to maintaining our shared civic resources.
This is by far the largest capital project the Grand Forks Art Gallery Society has embarked upon. Gallery 2 is one of only two municipally listed historic buildings in Grand Forks, the other being City Hall. The work will adhere to the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places. The project scope includes detailed condition assessments of both the windows and masonry (completed in 2021), constructing scaffolding around the entire building, window frame restoration and repainting, and masonry cleaning and repair. The limestone walls on the east and north sides of the building will be cleaned, and custom-built storm windows will replace the yellow plexiglass that covers the stained-glass windows flanking the front entrance.
It is a big job, but the building will look fabulous when it is complete. We are working with local trade contractors as much as possible, as they bring a sense of civic pride and attention to detail that comes from an understanding of the importance of local heritage. As work progresses, we will host heritage trades talks to provide a wealth of fascinating insights into historic paints, heritage bricks, the chemistry of mortar, and how they affect the longevity of building exteriors.
Gallery 2 will remain open throughout the summer. The construction will impact some of our outdoor summer programming, and our signature summer fundraiser will be postponed for one more year. However, Taps and Tapas will return better than ever with a freshly painted and cleaned building backdrop in Summer 2023. It will be well worth the wait!
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