New Curb Appeal for City Hall

Perry County Roofing Inc. in early spring completed the back half repairs on the large span of roof at Du Quoin City Hall, a dangerous and painstaking job that took several months to deal with. Old decking was removed. New decking was installed. At all times, the roof was a minefield of rot and disrepair.

The new roof restores the integrity of a building that was constructed in the 1960s as home to the Duncan and Fry Furniture Co. Through the work of former commissioner Bill Daulby and Mayor John Rednour it became city hall, home to the police department, administrative offices, water department, the Du Quoin Public Library and the city council. It is used for city court and for countless tourism, historic preservation, training and job fairs.

With the roof work completed, Mayor Guy Alongi and the city council want to finish the work it began and improve both the safety and the curb appeal to what is the home of the City of Du Quoin.

In the next six weeks work will begin to excavate the outer sidewalks between the Library of Arts building to the north and the South Washington Street side of city hall all the way to East Poplar St.

The street department will take down the overgrown Bradford pear trees which now hide much of the building.

When the trees come out, new sidewalks and curbs will be poured. Bollards--reinforced abutments (some of them lighted)-- will be strategically inset into the walks to protect the front of city hall from being rammed by a car, truck or van that might be involved in an intersection accident at that busy four-way stop.

It has happened before where a car went through the plate glass window on the front of the building.

Originally, the estimate for the work was upwards of $45,000, but by using the street department to accomplish much of the work, the cost is being reduced by approximately half.

Alongi said the plan calls for using brickwork to keep the sidewalk bell which once hung in the original city hall on South Division Street from being a stumbling or tripping hazard.

Lastly, Graham's Painting of Du Quoin was the low bidder on a contract to repaint the block walls of city hall, which were recently repaired through tuckpointing. That work will be performed at a cost of $7,500. Volunteers have already come forward to repaint or restain the canopy across the font of city hall as a matter of community service.

When all of the work is completed, it will give that corner a fresh new look.