Wallace State Office Building (Des Moines) faces costly fix-up

[Guest guest]

http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4780934/14834571.html

State office faces costly fix-up

By JENNIFER DUKES LEE

Register Staff Writer

05/29/2001

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----

One of the newest state buildings at the Capitol Complex is deteriorating

and in need of repairs that some key lawmakers say they are reluctant to

make.

The Wallace State Office Building, known for its distinctive gold-mirrored

windows, is due for $26.5 million in renovations. Some legislators say the

state ought to at least consider demolishing the 23-year-old building

instead.

" That's a question we have to ask, " said Sen. Jeff Lamberti, an Ankeny

Republican who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee. " We need to take a

look at whether we should spend that amount of money on a building, or

whether it's smarter to just tear it down. "

The building, northwest of the Capitol, has been beset with problems since

it opened in 1978. State workers almost immediately complained of strange

fumes and ventilation problems. One summer, employees showed up for work in

parkas because of erratic air conditioning. The building's windows also

leaked.

A multicolored water fountain in the atrium was shut off after operating a

few years. Workers said the fountain was too noisy.

Problems have intensified in recent years. In October, a team of consultants

said the building had " seriously deteriorated conditions " and urgently needed

major repairs.

According to the report, windows must be replaced. The roof is in bad shape.

The building's mechanical and electrical systems need to be replaced, and

there are problems with outside walls.

An adjacent parking garage is in such bad shape that workers can no longer

park their cars on the top level. The October report said the garage was " on

the verge of structural failure " and should be torn down.

" The building itself is very poorly designed, " said Rep. Chuck Gipp, a

Decorah Republican serving on committees that oversee Capitol Complex

buildings. " Any time you have a building that was built in the late " 70s,

and now needs a $25 million remodeling job, that would indicate it isn't in

very good shape. "

Legislators aren't ready to swing the wrecking ball yet. They want to

compare the cost of remodeling with the cost of building something new.

State officials are uncertain what it would cost to rebuild the Wallace

Building today. It originally cost about $10 million.

Stan McCausland, the state administrator who oversaw construction of the

building, makes no apologies. He doubts that the building seriously needs

$26.5 million in upgrades. Talk of tearing the building down is silly, he

said.

" I'm very proud of the building, " said McCausland, former director of the

state General Services Department. " That reflective wall is one of the most

photographed sites in the state. "

The gold panes of glass reflect a majestic view of the Capitol.

Behind that gold wall, employees offer mixed reviews. The state medical

examiner and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation have long complained

that they have outgrown the Wallace Building.

The Wallace Building also holds the state agriculture and natural resources

departments, along with state public safety offices.

" I love this building, " said Ross on, a Department of Natural

Resources spokesman who has worked in the Wallace Building for 20 years.

Despite some flaws, he said, " this is one of the prettiest buildings you

could ever find. "

The building, however, is inadequate for many natural resources employees

who need space for computerized equipment, said Todd Bishop, another DNR

employee.

" It's not very conducive to our agency's needs, " he said.

Sen. Jensen called the building " probably the poorest designed building

on the campus. "

" To me, the Wallace Building was a mistake to begin with, " said Jensen, a

Plainfield Republican and nonvoting member of the Capitol Planning

Commission.

A Dubuque firm, now called the Durrant Group, served as architect and

engineer for the building. Gordy Mills, managing director for regional

operations of the Durrant Group, said he had not seen the consultant's

report.

Mills said the building has served the state " for a good many years. "

Meanwhile, uses for the building have changed since the 1970s, especially

because of new technology.

He said the building is a prominent feature on the Capitol Complex and would

be missed by Iowans. If the building is inadequate for crime-lab technicians

and others, it still could be useful to many other state employees, Mills

said.

Crime-lab technicians will eventually move out of the Wallace Building to a

new laboratory building. The Legislature agreed this year to set $50 million

aside for a new laboratory building for criminal investigators and the

medical examiner.

The state also has begun construction on a new judicial building south of

the Capitol, a project costing $30 million.

There's no timetable for deciding the fate of the Wallace Building. The

consultant's report recommends action by 2004, but lawmakers and the

governor would have to approve money before any work could take place.

Lamberti and other lawmakers hope the state will remember the lesson of the

Wallace Building when putting up new state buildings.

Lamberti says the lesson is this: " The Wallace Building is certainly a

nice-looking building, but maybe they put a little style over substance. "