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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Daniel Barreiro, Chief Community Services Officer
DATE: March 24, 2021
SUBJECT:
A Resolution Authorizing Approval of the Restoration and Replication of the G.A.R. Sentry Statue
PURPOSE:
To obtain City Council approval for a resolution to accept a bid from McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc. from Oberlin, Ohio in the amount of $109,889.00 for the restoration and replication of the G.A.R. Sentry Statue.
BACKGROUND:
On July 4, 1878, the G.A.R. Hall opened to the public for the first time. Overlooking the City of Aurora, the G.A.R. Sentry, a cast zinc statue, stood guard. The statue is most likely a model from J.W. Fiske & Company, the most prominent American manufacturer of decorative cast iron and zinc statues. Although this piece of history required minor repairs over the years, it continued to stand guard until it was taken down in 2008. At this time, the statue was transported to a facility for repair, but fell into approximately forty-five parts. The statue was returned to the City of Aurora in 2019 and stored off-site until funds were available to complete the repairs. Later in 2019, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) notified the City of Aurora that a grant frozen in 2015 for a total of $750,000 would be accessible once more. This project will be entirely funded from this grant.
The original statue will be restored through cleaning of each section, removal of concrete in the legs, and identifying each portion. Once those steps are complete, tinning of the seams will commence in preparation for reassembly. The vendor will manufacture internal support for the statue to prevent future distortion. Seams will be soldered, and a final surface treatment and coating will conclude the restoration of the original statue.
Once the original statue is restored, the vendor will create a replica statue using one of three proposed materials (Bronze, Zinc, or Composite). If the replica is cast in bronze, a lost wax method will be utilized to ensure consistency with the original piece. The method is described in the bid documents provided by McKay Lodge, Inc.:
“…a replica of the sculpture shall be cast in bronze using the lost wax method. Molds will be pulled from the original, these negative molds are then brushed with wax to the desired thickness of the final bronze. After the wax is removed from the mold, it is “gated” with wax sprues that provide ducts for pouring bronze and for venting
the noxious gasses produced in the process. This assembly is then “invested” in a mixture of plaster and an aggregate such as sand.
This newly formed waste mold is then inverted in placed in a large kiln. During heating, the plaster dries and the wax runs out through the ducts created by the sprues. The plaster mold is then packed in sand, and molten bronze is poured through the ducts, filling the space left by the wax. When cool, the outer plaster and core are removed, the individual sections are then TIG welded together and finished to receive a patina. Various chemical compounds (chlorides or sulfates) are applied to the surface of the bronze to obtain the desired color, followed by a protective coating.”
City staff attempted to locate a local vendor for this project, but due to the technical nature of the work and the requirement to have a fully operation foundry, local vendors were unable to submit a bid for this project. Staff allowed proposers to bid on one or more portions of the project (restoration or replication) but no local vendor submitted a bid for either portion of the project.
DISCUSSION:
Currently, the statue sits in several pieces awaiting restoration. Bid documents for the restoration and replication of the G.A.R. statue were completed by McKay Lodge in January 2021. A non-mandatory bid meeting was held on January 7, 2021 where three respondents attended. The bid deadline was January 20, 2021 at 2:00pm, where one bid was received. The amount below reflects the totals of the bid.
McKay Lodge $109,889.00
Due diligence included reference checks and review of all required paperwork for McKay Lodge. As a result of favorable reviews and satisfactory submittal of all required documents, McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc. of Oberlin, Ohio is being recommended as the successful lowest bidder for Bid 21-01. Funding will be available in the 2021 City Budget GAR Capital Outlay-Improvement account (101-1361-465.73-42);
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The restoration and renovation of the G.A.R. Memorial Hall and Museum is nearing completion. Many of Aurora’s residents have inquired about the status of this project in the past and have expressed interest in seeing the statue returned to its home. Across the country, statues are being removed due to the history of the person they depict. This statue depicts not a General, nor a slave holder, but a Union Soldier keeping watch over the City of Lights.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the resolution to award Bid 21-01 to McKay Lodge Fina Arts Conservation Laboratory from Oberlin, Ohio and authorize Mayor, the Purchasing Director, or their designees to execute all necessary documents.
cc: Public Health Safety and Transportation Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution Authorizing approval to accept a bid from McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc. from Oberlin, Ohio in the amount of $109,889.00 for the restoration and replication of the G.A.R. Sentry Statue.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Restoration and Replication of the G.A.R. Sentry Statue will return the statue to its original appearance and create a new statue to be placed atop the GAR Hall, in memory of the Union Soldiers, and the Veterans of the Civil War from Aurora; and
WHEREAS, the RFP was publicly noticed in the Aurora Beacon News, the city website and DemandStar, one proposal was received by the January 20, 2021 due date; and
WHEREAS, funding will be available in the 2021 City Budget GAR Capital Outlay-Improvement account (101-1361-465.73-42) and expenditures will be reimbursable from an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grant.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the City's Mayor, Director of Purchasing, or their designees are authorized to execute a contract with McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory Inc. from Oberlin, Ohio in the amount of one hundred and nine thousand and eight hundred and eighty-nine dollars and zero cents ($109,889.00) as well as any other documents associated with this approval.