ALTON - Following the demolition of the old Hudson Jeweler building, the downtown branch of the Hayner Public Library District is getting a much needed new roof.
Hayner Public Library Executive Director Bernadette Duvernoy said the former roof was a rubber flat roof nearly three decades old, which was cracking from years of abuse from sun, snow and heavy rain. Duvernoy said workers of the library would "hold their breaths" every time it rained or snow melted, because a leak would be nearly guaranteed. Duvernoy said she waited until the demolition of the neighboring Hudson Jeweler building to begin the $134,000 project for several reasons.
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"We were holding off on the roof until the demolition is completed to ease the work a little bit," Duvernoy said. "If anything happened with the demolition, we did not want it to affect the new roof."
That demolition in itself did not affect the decision to replace the old roof. Duvernoy said that roof has been a source of several headaches, including expensive patchwork following every leak. She said the library had to "bite the bullet" and use the $134,000 from its building and equipment fund - money earmarked for building projects and nothing else - to replace the roof.
Riverside Roofers was the lowest of four bidders, Duvernoy said. She said work will continue on the roof for a few days before workers take a respite and attain more supplies. A second wave of roof work will take place after that. Duvernoy estimated roofing work should be completed by early May.
"It is not impacting library operations at all," she said. "We are still open, and noise is at a minimum."
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