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<p>A contract is in the works to install more than 500 new windows at the Luzerne County Courthouse as part of an energy savings program, according to county Engineer Lawrence Plesh.</p><p>Clarks Summit-based D&amp;M Construction Unlimited Inc. submitted the lowest base bid at $2.29 million, with competition from three other companies, records show.</p><p>But Plesh said he expects the work will end up costing around $1.75 million because the bid included several options that will yield savings.</p><p>For example, D&amp;M&#8217;s bid says it will deduct $120,000 if the county opts to use standard aluminum exterior trim that most closely matches the existing historic wood trim instead of producing a custom replacement. Another $145,000 will be saved by using standard color options for paint, stain and aluminum, it said.</p><p>Plesh said the county picked both options because similar matches were available and cleared by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which oversees work involving the courthouse and other properties on the state&#8217;s National Register of Historic Places.</p><p>Keeping the existing window moldings is not an option, Plesh said.</p><p>&#8220;In the late 1980s, they replaced the windows and left the same old molding on the outside, which is why you see all the peeling in the wood and windows not closing right,&#8221; he said.</p><p>D&amp;M is using Marvin windows that will be cut to fit based on precise measurements, he said.</p><p>The window replacement is among several ongoing projects funded by $7.9 million the county had borrowed to address energy drains.</p><p>Other work already completed includes more cost-efficient LED lighting, sealing of buildings, mechanical system insulation and plumbing upgrades.</p><p>Two new boilers were set up in the courthouse subbasement to heat the building, ending reliance on steam delivered through an aging and deteriorating underground pipe linked to a boiler plant near the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>County Manager C. David Pedri has described the wind gusts that come through some courthouse windows as &#8220;legendary.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;We have two brand-new boilers kicking out high-efficiency heat but have all this air loss in the windows,&#8221; Plesh said. &#8220;This is the last step to get the courthouse sealed up.&#8221;</p><p>The new windows will have insulation between the panes and be &#8220;10 times better than the old,&#8221; he said.</p><p>One of the bid alternate options chosen was completion of all work at night, which will add $54,000 to the cost, Plesh said.</p><p>Working amid court proceedings and other office functions would create too many scheduling issues and slow up the project, he said.</p><p>Protective measures will be required outside the building because asbestos was found in the exterior sealant, he said. Scaffolding and/or lifts must be used to access many windows, he said.</p><p>Plesh is optimistic a contract will be signed with D&amp;M by the end of the week. The county had &#8220;good success&#8221; when the company completed reconfiguration of the courthouse basement entrance to expand the security screening area, he said.</p><p>The project should not change the look of the historic structure, which is the goal, he said.</p><p>A new sample window installed on the Susquehanna River side of the structure acceptably blends in with the others, he said. That installation was completed to verify the scope of work and contract specifications. Paint found during the process indicates the moldings were originally painted orange, but Plesh said returning to that color would create an unsettling appearance change.</p><p>&#8220;We don&#8217;t want something that stands out. You want it to look the same from the street,&#8221; Plesh said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Plesh </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_Plesh-1.jpeg</photo0><caption0>Plesh </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_TTL010620Windows1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Officials say the appearance of the historic Luzerne County Courthouse should not change with the upcoming installation of 500 new windows for energy efficiency. A new sample window has been installed at the center of this bottom row of windows on the Susquehanna River side of the structure. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_TTL010620Windows1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Officials say the appearance of the historic Luzerne County Courthouse should not change with the upcoming installation of 500 new windows for energy efficiency. A new sample window has been installed at the center of this bottom row of windows on the Susquehanna River side of the structure. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County Courthouse will have 500+ new windows