State Selects Capitol Restoration Firm

The State has selected JE Dunn Construction to repair and restore the deteriorating exterior of the 97-year-old Capitol.

JE Dunn Construction received the top score of the three teams that participated in the state’s competitive selection process under the state’s Public Building Construction and Planning Act.

Work should begin in the spring and will be overseen by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which manages the Capitol and is the state’s central operations and finance agency.

“JE Dunn presented a highly impressive, comprehensive proposal to repair and restore the Capitol’s exterior to its original grandeur,” said OMES Director Preston L. Doerflinger. “Oklahoma will be receiving world-class solutions to the litany of problems facing the outside of our Capitol. The Capitol is our front door to the world and we’re confident this partnership will help make us as proud of it today as we were when it opened nearly a century ago.”

Other respondents to the state’s request for proposals were Manhattan Construction and Capitol Renaissance Design Builders, a partnership between CMS Willowbrook and Flintco.

“The quality of all three proposals was phenomenal. No bad choice could be made and the state was pleased to be able to make an excellent selection for this historic work,” said State Capitol Project Manager Trait Thompson.

The maximum value of the contract is $25 million. It will be awarded early next year upon the state’s receipt of proceeds from the first sale of bonds under House Joint Resolution 1033, which authorized a $120 million bond issue to begin repairing and restoring the Capitol.

A separate contract for repairing and restoring the interior of the building will be awarded next year through the Public Building Construction and Planning Act. Subcontracts will be issued in compliance with the Public Competitive Bidding Act.

The interior contractor will be chosen based on criteria approved Dec. 11 by the State Capitol Repair Expenditure Oversight Committee.

EXTERIOR PROBLEMS
The Capitol’s exterior faces myriad problems typical of buildings of similar age and construction type, according to an assessment by Wiss, Janner, Elstner Associates (WJE), an internationally-renowned firm the state retained to investigate the condition of the Capitol’s exterior and recommend repair and restoration strategies.

WJE spent months conducting an extensive investigation of the Capitol’s limestone and granite exterior, using tactics ranging from detailed inspections conducted while rappelling down the building to laboratory analysis of stone samples. The assessment found:

•Extensive cracking and other damage to the stone façade;
•widespread mortar bond failure between stone blocks;
•insecure attachments of the stone façade to the primary structure;
•problematic water infiltration due to failed seals and other damage;
•improper mortar selection and application in many areas;
•biological growth and staining on stones due to water infiltration and flawed sealing and cleaning attempts;
•corrosion of several metal component pieces;
•damaged, inadequate or failing anchors;
•lack of adequate anchoring for some walls due to damage or failure to install during initial construction;
•aging windows and window panels in need of replacement;
•and degraded subgrade foundation walls in need of replacement.

JE Dunn Construction will use the findings and recommendations in WJE’s assessment to guide work on the building’s exterior. The assessment can be viewed on the Capitol Restoration website, capitolrestore.ok.gov.

ABOUT JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION

JE Dunn Construction is a leading, full service commercial construction company with offices in 20 cities, including Oklahoma City, and an extensive history in renovating historic structures nationwide. Among the 300 exterior projects in its portfolio are more than 30 National Register of Historic Places properties, including the state capitol buildings in Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon and Wyoming. JE Dunn has 24 projects currently active in Oklahoma.


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