WITH PLASTIC weatherproofing over the historic Carmel Mission Basilica set to be removed later this month, and the subsequent retiling of the roof, the $5 million seismic retrofit should be completed by April, according to Vic Grabrian, president of the foundation that’s overseeing the work. And, even though the nonprofit still has a lot of money to raise, its members decided last week to commence with the second phase of improvements while the scaffolding is still surrounding the 220-year-old building.

“It’s estimated to be about $2.2 million right now, as originally budgeted,” he said of the next round of projects, which includes repairs to damaged exterior walls and mechanical upgrades.

If the Carmel Mission Foundation spends the next year or two raising that money, the costs could grow by half again, due to labor and material increases, according to Grabrian.

“But the construction people came to me around Christmastime and said if we could raise a bunch of money fairly quickly and do this work while the scaffolding is still up, and the contractor is still there, we could save about $1 million,” he said. “So last week, we decided to go ahead and go for it.”

The foundation already has a good start: One donor put up a $350,000 challenge grant it hopes to match dollar for dollar.

Final steps of phase one

The $5 million retrofit — also paid for with money raised by the foundation — includes shoring up the Basilica’s walls, installing new wiring and plumbing, and replacing the roof installed in the 1930s. The work began late last summer and should be completed by April.

Of significant importance is strengthening the walls to meet a state law that takes effect in 2017 requiring masonry buildings like the Mission be reinforced to improve their ability to withstand earthquakes, and according to Grabrian, the contractor, Blach Construction, reported the walls are now three times stronger than they were. That new stability is due to the more than 300 steel rods inserted and grouted into place in vertical and horizontal holes drilled through the walls.

Work in the attic — new wiring, fire protection systems and strengthening of the roof — should be completed soon, according to Grabrian, and a new layer of plywood to strengthen the roof should be installed by the end of February.

At that point, the scaffolding and plastic sheeting that have kept the Mission dry during construction can be removed. The foundation has been renting the covering for $32,000 per month.

“They have to specially build all that stuff — they didn’t just have it lying around,” Grabrian said of the metal scaffolding and panels protecting the roof. The contractor built the pieces specifically to fit over the top and lowered them into place with a large crane. The foundation and the contractor decided the time and costs saved by not having to wait until the dry season to do the work more than offset the expense of renting the plastic covering.

Once the plywood sub-roof is in place and has been waterproofed, the temporary covering can be dismantled, and workers will reinstall the old clay barrel tiles they painstakingly removed and stacked at the start of the project.
The only new construction is a handicap-accessible bathroom.

“If we did our job right, you won’t be able to tell we did a thing,” Grabrian said.

Phase two details

The next phase of the Basilica restoration, originally estimated at $2.2 million, includes fixing the deteriorating exterior walls, towers and Moorish dome; repairing woodwork, including windows and the exposed rafter tails under the roof; upgrading mechanical, electrical, radiant heating and fire protection systems; installing new lighting; and bringing doors, ramps and railings into ADA compliance.

“If we wait until all $2.2 million is raised to begin this last part, it may take a couple of years,” Grabrian said. “Inflation of wages and materials will increase the cost to at least $3 million, not to mention more deterioration of external surfaces.”

As a result, the foundation opted to get busy raising the money and to authorize the contractor to start on the second phase, even if all the cash isn’t yet in the bank.

“If we can raise a little over a million fairly quickly and begin this work immediately, while  the scaffolding is still up and the contractor is in place for the seismic retrofit, we can save at least $1 million,” he said. “The decision was made last week to proceed with the remainder of the Basilica restoration now.”

As a result, the start of the next round of projects can dovetail with the end of the first phase, and most of the savings will come from the fact the infrastructure and workers are already onsite.

With the help of the $350,000 challenge grant, “we are optimistic we can fund and complete most of Basilica restoration work by this summer,” Grabrian said.

Overall, the foundation has so far raised close to $6 million. Most of that money went to the seismic work, as well as a few side projects, like the refurbishment of the Mission’s bells.

“It’s possible that by the middle of this year, we’re looking at the Basilica restoration being completed, and then we’ll be heavily involved in tackling what’s next — probably the museums,” he said. “And that’s a whole different type of project and significance.”

But the group has to raise the money for the rest of the restoration, first. To contribute, visit www.carmelmissionfoundation.org or call (831) 624-3261.