The McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington is getting a new roof as frequent leaks have caused interior damage.
“In a very heavy rain, one area in particular, the education office will get up to 14 gallons of water coming through in a single leak,” said Executive Director Greg Koos.
Koos said the patchwork done in recent years to seal the more-than-30-year old roof is no longer enough.
“This year it became unsustainable to continue to do minor patching,” Koos said. “The wind was blowing pieces of the membrane off the roof.”
Koos said no artifacts have been damaged.
The McLean County Board has hired an architect for architectural and engineering work on a new roof and drainage system. The contract, with Scharnett Associates Architects of Bloomington, is for $28,800, but it’s not clear how much renovations will cost.
The county's Public Building Commission owns the building that is well over 100 years old and previously served as the county courthouse.
Koos is just grateful for the day he won't have to worry every time it rains.
“The catastrophic flooding we’ve gotten in two offices and destruction of plaster has made it necessary to replace it at this point in time,” he said. “It can’t be put off any more.”
The museum is currently closed because of the state's shelter-in-place order. Crews also are rebuilding restrooms inside the building and plan to complete a new lighting project.
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