There is one final step that the Jefferson City Council has to make before an over $200,000 roof project can begin at one of the city-owned downtown buildings.

City Administrator Mike Palmer says the Council awarded the $217,000 contract to Westbrook Construction Company at their previous meeting on April 14th. Palmer explains why the price tag is so large for a roof project at 100 East State Street, known as the former Angie’s Teagarden.

“It’s not just tearing off the old roof membrane and putting a new one on, it’s taking all the framing and everything out. It had been reconstructed years ago and it wasn’t constructed correctly. We’re fearful of failure on it, meaning the thing collapses in. That’s why it’s pricey like this to do this.” 

Since the building is in the City’s Urban Renewal Plan, the Council had designated up to $150,000 per building, with no more than $600,000 total each year, to spend tax increment financing funds to make building improvements. However, Palmer notes the roof contract exceeds the $150,000 limit and he explains that the Council plans to amend the Urban Renewal Plan to eliminate the $150,000 limit, but keep the $600,000 annual limit.

“They (the Council) awarded the contract, but as the (city) attorney advised it still needs to be signed and sent back to actually approve the signatures on it. It’s kind of a process but nonetheless it gets us on the contractor’s list to get it started.”

The project is anticipated to take 3-5 months to complete. Once initial renovations are done to the building, the City plans to hand it over to a private investment group called Why Not Us.