EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In the winter of 2014, after much debate - including considerations to sell the Madison Municipal Building to a private developer - the City of Madison Common Council affirmed through resolution that “keeping the Madison Municipal Building (MMB) in civic use will help achieve the City's desire to maintain a nexus of City offices together in the CCB and continue the historic use of the building as an important civic building.”  After four years of significant efforts by the City of Madison, city staff, community stakeholder groups, architects, engineers, contractors and many others the MMB reopened as a completely renovated, reestablished, and redefined structure and facility.

Significant achievements include: 

• LEEDv3 BD&C Platinum rating.  

• Complete replacement of the HVAC/electrical/plumbing systems; added a full sprinkler system.

• Roof replacement, and 100% preservation of exterior historic masonry and historic windows.  

• Comprehensive interior architectural remodel, and interior historic architectural renovation and restoration. 

• Demolition of the existing non-contributing 1950s era rear annex and installation of a new addition at the rear of MMB for staff and building support space.   

• Restoration of landscape to the original 1920s grass border (i.e. removal of trees and residential landscaping borders) and preservation of existing historic site elements.  

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NOTABLE SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES USED IN THE PROJECT:

Prior to the renovation, there was limited, cramped space for public meetings. The newly renovated facility now offers many meeting spaces with state-of-the-art-technology. One room in particular – Room 215 – is the City’s prime public meeting space outside the City-County Building. As part of this project, this room was restored to its original state as a federal courtroom, including the 24-foot tall ceiling with oak features, removing the black paint from the windows, and reupholstering the doors to the space. The space now features modern, comfortable furniture and extra seating for large crowds. 
 
The renovated MMB is now in its operation phase and City staff, the public, and elected officials have quickly taken advantage of the new facilities offerings. There have been many visitors in the first months of operation to meet and conduct business with City staff; and recently the MMB was host to events such as a public presentation and discussion of the future of Madison’s transportation system, presentation and discussion on climate change, and a community celebration and grand opening event. 

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• Energy saving features included:  New windows and/or new storm windows, added roof insulation, 80% reduction in air infiltration, high performance LED lighting, high performance HVAC system (50% cooling and 80% heating use reduction) and energy star appliances.

• Indoor environmental improvements include: ASHRAE ventilation rates, MERV 13 filtration, occupant lighting and thermostat control, low/no VOC and abatement of asbestos.

• The project incorporates a green roof for plants and includes solar PV panels (30 kW being installed March 2020). In addition, dozens of historic wood doors, thousands of square-feet of marble and tile, and thousands of linear feet of woodwork were either preserved/refurbished in place, sent away to experts for renovation, or reinstalled by the dedicated contractors committed to this project. 

• The project also achieved its recycling and reuse goals by donating any reusable building elements. In addition, Sector 67 and Habitat for Humanity received a significant amount of fixtures, equipment and building materials for re-use/repurposing.  

• During construction, JP Cullen and its subcontractors used environmentally responsible construction methods including recycling 86% of the construction waste.  Reuse and restoration of existing exterior stone, exterior brick, historic windows, doors/frames/hardware, wood trim/wainscot, wood floors, tile floors, plaster, and other historic elements were fundamental to the recycle/reuse plan. 

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CHALLENGES FACED BY THE PROJECT TEAM:

The MMB was originally built in 1927 and served as the federal courthouse and a post office. Prior to this project, the building underwent a renovation in the early 1980s, which stripped it of many of its original design features, including covering terra cotta floors in the main entrance, bricking up floor-to-ceiling windows, and enclosing two staircases. This building needed this renovation to bring these features and other historical elements back to life, as well as provide a longer-term solution for significant problems associated with its electrical, heating, and cooling systems.  

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The restoration of this building was a meticulous process. On the interior, the doors and original windows on the second and third floors were restored, while the windows on the first floor and lower level were replaced replicas to match the original windows. In addition to the restoration work, it also included a comprehensive interior architectural remodel. On the exterior, the original stone was 100% preserved, but the mortar and joints were replaced. The landscape was also restored to the original 1920s grass border. 

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One quality control measure put in place for this project was for the exterior restoration. The work required us to remove the mortar without disturbing the brick, so a specific procedure was developed and all masonry personnel had to undergo historical training for brick tuck-pointing. While a dozen masons underwent this training process, ultimately only seven masons exhibited the required attention to detail to work on this building. Also, because of this training, the mason crews were able to develop consistency in their work and finished two weeks ahead of schedule, avoiding unfavorable winter conditions.