Chicopee City Hall construction nears completion as eagle weather vane returns to perch on tower – MassLive.com

CHICOPEE The eagle weather vane has been returned to the top of City Hall as a two-year project to repair and modernize the nearly 150-year-old building is coming to a close.

Mayor John L. Vieau joined other city officials as the eagle was raised to the top of the tower by a crane in a short ceremony last week.

The eagle, an icon that has looked over the community since City Hall was opened in 1871, was removed about two years ago when construction crews began an about $14 million project to make structural repairs and weatherize and modernize the interior.

More than six years ago, plaster chunks started falling from the molding in the auditorium and stained glass windows loosened from their frames. Then a piece of the support frame that holds City Halls iconic rose-shaped stained glass window broke off and crashed to the stairs below. This prompted officials to commission a study to find out why the long-closed room on the second floor of the building was failing.

The news wasnt good. Engineers found City Hall was literally falling apart as then-Mayor Richard J. Kos put it. The brick facade was bowing out, sandstone columns were badly eroded, an interior brick arch had deteriorated and poor-quality brickwork in the tower was failing.

That sparked months of debate about what to do next. In 2017 the City Council agreed to borrow up to $16 million to make the repairs and upgrade the building. Officials also received some grant money, and user fees collected by Charter Cable were spent to convert the auditorium into a modern meeting room.

In the end, officials believe the project will be completed at a cost of about $2 million less than had been expected, Vieau said.

We are proud of the character and the symbolism of our eagle. It represents this citys strength and resilience and it is exciting to know the original will also be preserved for its residents to admire for many years to come, Vieau said.

The weather vane has always been a defining feature of the stone turret and tower. It has a special history, since the bronze bird was cast across the street at the Ames Manufacturing Co., known for its Civil War swords. The foundry was the first to become proficient in bronze casting, according to city historian Stephen Jendrysik.

But the eagle that was raised to the top of the tower last week is a doppelganger it is a lighter fiberglass copy finished in gold leaf. A lightning rod will run through the center of it, said Michael Pise, mayoral chief of staff.

The real one, which is also hollow but much heavier, will be cleaned and preserved and placed on display in the auditorium when it is reopened, Pise said.

Along with shoring up the building, other improvements were made including repairing the slate roof; installing a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; replacing aging windows with insulated ones; installing an elevator in the City Hall Annex; and updating restrooms and the outside ramp to meet handicap accessibility laws, he said.

Some aesthetic improvements, such as replacing old carpeting, are also planned, he said.

One of the biggest differences will be in the auditorium, which was in such poor condition it had been closed off for more than a decade. All 19 stained glass windows that ring the auditorium were removed and repaired. When they are replaced, they will be covered with a layer of plexiglass to make them more energy efficient and to protect them, Pise said.

The ceiling had to be replaced as well. During the renovations, construction crews found cut nails were used a century ago and the plaster had separated from the beams, Pise said.

The auditorium, which will have permanent cameras installed so all meetings can be broadcast live, will be used by the City Council, School Committee, Planning Board and others when it is finished around January. The room is large enough to allow for social distancing, which the School Committee found was crucial since some members had to participate remotely when meetings resumed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think it is a great idea, School Committee member Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello said. It gives us more space and everyone can come if they want to come. I personally dont have a problem with making it our permanent home.

The School Committee, which usually meets at the school administration building on Broadway but recently moved to Chicopee Comprehensive High School for space reasons, voted last week to hold all meetings in the auditorium once construction is complete.

One of the last pieces of the work will be to replace the rose window.

Im excited to have the rose window back. It has defined the City Hall, Vieau said.

Link:
Chicopee City Hall construction nears completion as eagle weather vane returns to perch on tower - MassLive.com