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NEWS RELEASE Lackawanna County Courthouse…Renovated from the Inside Out
“We are very excited to report that phase one of the Courthouse renovation project is nearing structural rehabilitation completion. Our team was able to pull everyone together to bolster the structural integrity, finalize most of the demolition work, and prepare the way for the completion of phase one,” comments Matthew Michalek, Vice President of Operations, L.R. Costanzo Company. “So many bridges have been crossed in this phase. Working on such a historically significant building requires careful planning and execution. Thankfully, historical renovation is one of the hallmarks of our company.” In order to begin the masterful renovation of the city’s beloved courthouse, the supporting structures, or “bones,” had to be strengthened. This called for sound structural and geotechnical engineering direction. To accommodate the courthouse’s new floor plan, an additional series of structural modifications ensued. Huge, two-story, interior stone bearing walls had to be entirely removed in order to create a larger Central Court on the building’s first floor. These walls were actually “vaults” that began in the basement and reached up to the second floor and were 2’ thick. One vault supported the first floor while the second vault supported the second floor.
Highland Associates structural engineering department designed intricate structural solutions to all of the areas affected by both the floor plan changes and the damage repair. They brought to the team Keast & Hood Engineering, to assist in the design of elaborate shoring and support systems to execute these structural modifications. Due to its vast experience in historical structure renovation, the Keast & Hood Engineering firm, founded in 1912 and well known in the Philadelphia area for its work on such historic structures as Independence Hall, was put to task. Along with revising the floor plan, an additional floor level needed to be created in order to support the building’s air conditioning systems, which will be installed in the courthouses’ attic directly over the courtrooms. This massive super structure extends over more than half of the building’s third floor and had to be brought in piece by piece through the windows of the courthouse and erected together by Northeast Steel, the project’s structural contractor. During the installation of the underground plumbing systems it was discovered that major settlement, 3-4’ deep voids, had occurred underneath the concrete slabs in the basement. To rectify this situation, Highland’s team designed a plan to temporarily remove the support of about 70% of the existing dirt floor that was under the concrete slabs in the basement and replace them with an intricate structure of steel “I” beams, covered with concrete. These new, structurally supported slabs run from bearing wall to bearing wall, making the foundational support of the courthouse immovable. As structural reinforcement continued, workers discovered that a portion of the existing stone foundation on the front entrance also indicated deterioration. Keast & Hood and Geo-Science Engineering were again called in to consult. The overriding goal was to preserve the historic main entrance with its majestic columns, and allow it to be accessible at ground-level. According to Rich Scheller, “We established extremely stringent and tight criteria because we wanted to preserve the integrity of the structure.” What’s Next? A separate prisoner entrance, called a “SALLY Port,” will insure the safety and protection of courthouse visitors. Prisoners will be driven through the “u”-shaped drive, to be situated on the Adams Avenue side, directly into a secured area where new holding cells and a private, prisoner-only elevator will be located. This will ensure public safety to both visitors and employees of the County. Matthew Michalek also noted that the security upgrades to the building and site will start at the curb and work their way right into the bones of the building. These upgrades include site hardening with electronic surveillance, secured access doors with card readers, new x-ray screening equipment and new pass-walk-through metal detectors. Additionally, new overall systems include new heating, ventilating, and air condition (HVAC) systems, two exterior pad mounted cooling towers, new 2000 amp electrical distribution which includes new emergency backup generators to provide secondary power for critical building systems, the new plumbing system will now provide 8” combination water/fire protection services which aids a protection system that will defend all floors of the building. The historic courtrooms will be completely repaired and refinished; bringing them back to their former glory. There will be ornamental ceiling repairs, fabric reconstruction, and millwork restoration. The number of courtrooms will go from five to seven. A new criminal courtroom is being constructed on the third floor, while central court, formerly housed in the courthouse annex, will be moved to the ground floor. A Boost for the Economy Working Together The basement floor construction was of various materials and methods including wood, steel and concrete. Soil conditions under the foot print of the building was peat which settled over the years causing voids under the floor. Concerned that reinforcing the floor and columns would be extensively expensive, the project team members discussed the options to stabilize the conditions and resolved the issue at less than half of the anticipated costs. The project team members: L.R. Costanzo Company, Highland Associates, Geo-Science Engineering Company, and various contractors are to be commended for their efforts to control cost and maintain schedules as these issues arise.” The synergy between Costanzo, CEP, Highland, and the County has been excellent. This team has all the expertise and experience to successfully bind the seams of this project together. Editor’s Note Fun Facts:
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As work continues to progress on Lackawanna County’s Courthouse, the County’s construction management firm, L.R. Costanzo Company, is pleased to report that the structural components of the courthouse have been reinforced, improved, and made ready for the next phase. 
Highland Associates, Lackawanna County’s structural engineer, had previously identified structural damage to the building’s interior bearing walls. These 2’ thick walls were damaged significantly due to prior renovations to the building. Testament to the original craftsmanship, even though damage had occurred during renovations over the last century, the overall integrity of the interior walls and the 3’ thick exterior walls, which are 30’ deep, stood the test of time.