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YOUNGSTOWN -- It's not going to be until late February or early March -- along with at least $200,000 more in costs -- before the city hall fire escape is finally replaced.
The work was supposed to start in mid-September and be finished by next month at a cost of $1.1 million, according to plans discussed in early September by city officials. The fire escape has been shut down since March 9.
But those plans have changed, delaying the project's start date to sometime next month and increasing the cost, said Charles Shasho, the city's deputy director of public works.
Two issues causing the delays are now resolved, he said.
Those were needed additions for the project and the city resolving concerns from the Mahoning County Building Inspections department about the safety of those inside city hall between the time the old fire escape is dismantled and the new one is installed, Shasho said.
Because the only way out of the building if there is a fire, which shuts down the elevators, is the lone stairwell -- the concern of the county building department -- the city came up with a plan in case of emergency, Shasho said.
"It looks like everyone is satisfied with the plan," he said.
A firetruck couldn't reach the top floor of the seven-story city hall so staff working there, including the civil service commission, were relocated to offices on the building's lower floors, Shasho said.
Also, signs in the building directing people to go to the fire escape were removed, city hall employees were educated on the proper evacuation and were given specific locations to meet outside in case of an emergency. Every visitor at city hall is also given a photo identification sticker and has to electronically sign in and out in order to make sure everyone is accounted for if there's an evacuation, Shasho said.
He added the city is working to "minimize the time" the building is without a fire escape.
Major changes to the project's design were made, including to the foundation and adding more screening to the new fire escape as it won't be enclosed like the existing one, he said.
The cost of the additions hasn't been determined yet, but it will likely be at least $200,000, Shasho said.
City council will be asked to increase the cost of the project at its Dec. 20 meeting, he said.
It will be the second request for council to authorize more money for this work.
City council voted April 19 to spend up to $250,000 for repair work and designs to the fire escape.
Shasho said that was "never going to be the number."
The city hired Murphy Contracting Co. of Youngstown for the repair work to the fire escape and MS Consultants Inc., also of Youngstown, to design the project.
Murphy was initially hired to clean and sandblast the fire escape of bird droppings and rust before city officials decided in July it best to replace rather than repair the aging fire escape even though it is more costly.
City council agreed and voted July 31 to allow up to $1.1 million be spent on the project, including work already done.
Murphy was paid $190,540 for the repair work and MS received $60,000 for the designs.
When the city decided to replace, it obtained proposals and chose Murphy on Aug. 24 for $833,430 to do the work.
The costs for repair and design work will increase.
City officials announced March 9 that the fire escape would be shut down on fire Chief Barry Finley's orders until work to it could be finished.
Because it's the only other way to get in and out of the building besides the stairwell in case of a fire, city council moved all of its meetings from the sixth floor, where it regularly held them.
The concern has been that too many people attend council meetings and it would be dangerous to hold them in council chambers.
Since March, council meetings have been held at either the Covelli Centre community room or the Mahoning County commissioners' meeting room with the finance committee meeting the same day at the same location starting beforehand.
Other council committee meetings and city bodies have met elsewhere in city hall, mostly in conference rooms on the first, second or fifth floors, or off-site such as the Eugenia Atkinson Recreation Center and the Newport Library.
The board of control has continued to meet on the sixth floor in the council caucus room.