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May 11, 2004 -- After many months spent studying, designing, remediating and, finally, repairing and replacing stones, the complex task of restoring the exterior facade at Jones Hall has entered the home stretch.

Since the evening of August 2, 2001, when three 400-pound marble panels broke free near the roof of Jones Hall and fell 70 feet harmlessly onto Texas Avenue, near Milam, City officials have focused full-time efforts on solving a multi-layer problem.

Jones Hall is not the first downtown building to deal with facade problems and it won’t be the last. Several other prominent addresses have been or are currently surrounded by telltale scaffolding. Others may follow suit, as a number of buildings attached stone panels in a similar manner when they were built in the 1960s and 70s.

It might be instructive to downtown property owners to review the steps taken to solve the riddles at one highly visible, heavily scrutinized address.

“This has been one of the most complicated repair projects we’ve ever undertaken,” said Dawn Ullrich, director of the City of Houston’s Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, which manages Jones Hall. “It would have been easy to do a quick fix, but that wouldn’t have been responsible management of the building. Jones Hall deserves better than that. We’ve repaired her for the long haul.”

Construction of Jones Hall was completed in 1966. It was clad in more than 4,400 panels of travertine marble imported from Italy. The natural beauty of the porous stone made it a popular choice for a number of buildings erected in that era. Each panel is adhered to the building with concealed metal pins that eroded over time.

After the stones fell, the City acted quickly to erect safety scaffolding, netting and other safety devices to prevent more panels from falling onto the streets and sidewalks.

Once the building was secure, the City began an investigation to determine what needed to be done to prevent a reoccurrence. In January 2002, an engineering report concluded that, among other things, a deteriorating fastening system (rusty pins) was at fault. With this knowledge in hand, engineers began a process of devising a solution that would do two things: 1) permanently secure the exterior stone; and 2) accommodate a long-term maintenance plan.

Compounding the complexity of the design phase was the existence of asbestos behind each panel. Repairs to the facade could not begin until after the asbestos was abated. An abatement plan was quickly developed and work began in the summer of 2002, culminating a year later. In the meantime, a complex set of new construction plans was completed in October 2002.

In February 2003, City Council awarded a contract to remove, examine, repair or replace each of the 4,400 panels. Each panel was individually inspected and an estimated 25 percent of them have been or will be replaced. Virtually every panel received additional pins.

The new travertine stones were taken from the same quarry in Italy mined four decades earlier. Coating and sealing steps were taken to equalize the color between the old stones and the new ones. Ullrich said the porous travertine retains a certain level of natural moisture that is expected to dry out in the coming year, equalizing most color discrepancies, though, as with many natural materials, colors will vary.

“The final work along Texas Avenue is expected to be completed in mid-June,” Ullrich said, “with work schedules adjusted to keep the loading dock area open.

“In fact, this level of accommodation around performance calendars and operations has been typical of the entire project. We’ve done all of our work without shutting down the building or canceling performances. Our tenants, Houston Symphony and Society for the Performing Arts, have been patient and supportive.”

(A special event to commemorate the completion of the work will be held during the annual Theater District Open House festivities scheduled for August 29 at Jones Hall.)

The facade refurbishment will cost $9 million. Add the non-related costs of Tropical Storm Allison repairs made inside the building in 2001 and 2002 as well as previously scheduled air-conditioning improvements and the tab for Jones Hall reaches $28 million.

All this work has served to make Jones Hall better than ever and ready for its next 38 years as a performing arts landmark in downtown Houston.