Civic Center Roof Work Progresses To Hall Of Justice In Marin Co.

SAN RAFAEL, CA – The two-year construction project to rehabilitate the historic Marin County Civic Center roof is entering its second year, with construction completed on the southern wing and library dome now progressing to the northern wing.

While the library dome and southern wing, referred to as the Administration Wing, now sport the iconic “Marin Blue” color, an expanse of white fabric will partially cover the northern section of the roof for the duration of construction, Marin County officials said.

Enclosure material will attach to the scaffolding that was recently installed along the northern half of the building, also known as the Hall of Justice, as protection designed for public safety and to stop debris, work dust and other materials from leaving the work area.

Removal of all the old roofing material and application of the new polyurethane membrane will be conducted in alternating sections. While one section is undergoing the removal process, a previously exposed section will have the new roofing material installed, the county said. For efficiency, a variety of such removal methods as pressure washing and hammer and chisel will be utilized.

The project, overseen by the Marin County Department of Public Works, is on schedule, on budget, and, weather permitting, the roof replacement for the Hall of Justice should be completed by spring 2020, officials said. The department intends to refurbish the building’s skylights as a separate project in summer 2020.

Designed by the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, the 470,168-square-foot building is the largest completed public project of the architect’s career and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Civic Center is characterized by a concrete roof with distinctive blue coating and stylized ornamentation.

The new roof is one of the largest construction projects on the Civic Center since it was built in the 1960s, the county said. Not accounting for inflation, the Civic Center’s Administration Wing and Hall of Justice originally cost approximately $14.6 million to construct.

In September 2017, the Marin County Board of Supervisors awarded a $17,842,799 contract to Arntz Builders, Inc., a Novato-based company, to direct the project. Rainbow Waterproofing and Restoration Co., which specializes in historically significant landmarks, is handling the removal of the old roof and the construction of the new one.

The project is funded by the Capital Improvements Fund. The County’s Department of Finance raised the money by refinancing Certificates of Participation -- essentially bonds for municipal and government agencies -- in 2015, when market conditions were favorable, county officials said.

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