The long-running effort to repair the roof at Mobile’s Government Plaza has hit another snag, with county officials now considering a change order that would add roughly $235,000 to the project’s cost. The proposal drew pushback from all three county commissioners when it was presented, given the roof project was already budgeted at $3.2 million.
According to Mobile County facilities manager Tyler Martin, the additional expense stems from a series of unexpected discoveries made as work has progressed. Roofing crews found that the original contractor who installed the roof used substandard coupling materials that are prone to leaking, requiring replacement with a more durable material throughout the building’s atrium. Couplings on the exterior portion of the atrium will instead be welded in place, according to Martin.
Martin described the roughly quarter-million-dollar estimate as a worst-case figure, though it remains the number currently on the table for commissioners to evaluate. Beyond the material issues, the project has also been complicated by two separate roof fires that broke out since construction began, adding further delays and expense to an already prolonged repair effort.
Compounding the cost concerns, the contractor, Team-Craft Roofing, is also requesting an 89-day extension to the project timeline. That request drew a pointed question from one commissioner, who asked why the company should receive extra time over delays tied to fires that occurred during its own work on the site. Martin pushed back on the framing, saying he didn’t view the extension as a reward for the contractor but rather a practical response to an evolving situation.
Commission President Connie Hudson said she needed additional time to evaluate the proposed change order before making a decision, effectively putting the matter on hold until at least the following week. In the meantime, she asked that the scaffolding currently in place throughout the building remain up while officials review the request.
Government Plaza, completed in 1995, has long been regarded as a distinctive piece of civic architecture in downtown Mobile, serving as the seat of county government. The prolonged roof project has left much of the building’s interior wrapped in scaffolding for an extended stretch, a visible reminder of the ongoing repair saga as county officials weigh how much more the fix will ultimately cost taxpayers.
No final decision had been made on the change order as of the latest commission discussion, with officials signaling that further review would be needed before any additional funds are approved.