The Johnson County Courthouse clock tower windows are free of scaffolding, though interior work will begin again soon on the tower. Elissa Maudlin | Daily Journal
The courthouse is moving closer to being fully repaired as the first phase of its restoration comes to completion.
The first set of repairs to the Johnson County Courthouse clock tower is now complete after high winds from severe storms last year damaged portions of the tower’s brick facade and blew out windows. The second phase of repairs will start soon after bids are unsealed next month.
The first phase of the project consisted of working on the south and west facades of the tower, along with wall bracing, said Brian Baird, president of the board of commissioners.
“All the metal on the outside, the trim, the metal, there was some brick that was basically blown out that had to be repaired, replaced and then that facade braces to the interior of the tower, so then all that bracing on the inside had to be redone,” Baird said.
Phase two will consist of working on the east and north sides of the tower, he said.
“It’s kind of like the inside of the tower expanded out by pressure and it shoved some things out on the east and the north side also and then when it relaxed, it didn’t come back all the way,” Baird said. “So it’s probably more of a major project than the south and the west was. We’ve already done some temporary bracing in there to make sure things don’t come apart so it’s not gonna do any more harm and it’s not gonna be a danger to anyone but now we need to get it repaired.”
Baird said the east and north sides have been secured and now that the south and west sides are repaired, there shouldn’t be any issues with wind getting into the tower and doing further damage at this time.
The bids haven’t been unsealed yet for the second phase of the project. They were supposed to be unsealed at the July 24 commissioners meeting but county attorney Adam Gadberry said some bidders needed extra time. The bids are slated to be unsealed at the next commissioner’s meeting.
Bids for the first phase were put out in the summer of 2023 and commissioners accepted a $419,000 bid from Advanced Restoration Contractors in July 2023. The repairs were covered under the county’s insurance policy, Baird previously said.
Although he has reviewed the outside of the courthouse, Baird wants to inspect the inside work from phase one within the next few weeks.
“I want to personally see it to make sure that everything was done before we make the final payment,” he said.
Other recent courthouse projects have included pouring new sidewalks and walkways outside the courthouse, new railings at some entrances and new exterior lights. Another project was the fountain, which is running water for the first time in 25 years.
Baird said working on the east and north facades of the tower will be the last interior repair but the courthouse will be getting new doors and windows, a project he said is slated to start in July. He said those repairs are needed because the doors and windows are outdated and not sealing properly. That repair isn’t because of the storm.
The timeline for the projects will be determined after bids are opened.
