Date: Fri 28-Nov-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

Booth-Library-O&G-Krasnickas

Full Text:

Library Work Picks Up The Pace, But Opening Still Put Off To January

BY DOROTHY EVANS

A visitor to the second floor of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library will barely

notice the quiet background hum of the heating system or the whir of the

rotary fans overhead.

But Public Building and Site Committee Chairman Frank Krasnickas is feeling a

lot better these days about the library's heating system, mainly because it

has finally stopped fluctuating between 104 degrees and 40 degrees.

"The heating system presents a very complex problem," Mr Krasnickas said,

explaining that there is steam heat in the old building and a hot water system

in the new addition. Apparently, marrying the two different systems has not

been a harmonious process.

"A couple of steam radiators have been out of control. We needed to tame them

-- turn them down," he said.

The heating system is only one of several problems being tackled by the newly

hired contractor, O&G Industries of Torrington, whose job it is to bring the

massive library renovation and addition project to a satisfactory conclusion.

According to Mr Krasnickas, at least two more full weeks of undivided

attention by the contractor and painters, electricians and heating system

experts is needed before the work can be finished.

The previous contractor, Building Technologies, Inc, was fired November 10.

"We never really got as far as a technical punch list," said Mr Krasnickas,

speaking from his office Monday.

"The paint job was terrible. Not only wasn't it finished, in some areas it

wasn't even started. And there were almost no second coats," he said.

The good news was that "the emergency lighting has been taken care of and

we've moved the electrical panel as requested."

O&G has placed a working superintendent on the job, he said, and "right now

everything seems to be proceeding well."

"I've always said, [the presence of] people is what will make this thing

happen."

A second temporary Certificate of Occupancy (CO) allowing staff to continue

working in the library was granted November 24. That CO is good until December

15, at which time Mr Krasnickas anticipates a permanent CO might be granted.

But that does not necessarily mean the library will open to the public as

early as December 15. A January opening is more likely.

"We're opting to take at least a couple more weeks after that, if we can.

There still is so much more work to be done -- work that can't easily be done

while the public is in there," Mr Krasnickas said.

For example, the electrician is working full time on the emergency lighting

system.

And the chandeliers still have to be rewired and hung.

Also, through miscommunication, the plugs for the computers do not fit the

outlets that are built into the computer tables and since they are

non-compatible, all the tables must be rewired.