Exterior Stone Repair Begins At Minnesota Capitol

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The long process of repairing the exterior stone on the Minnesota State Capitol is getting underway.

The Department of Administration says crews will begin installing scaffolding this week to make repairs to the deteriorating Georgia marble facade. The three-phase project is expected to be done by 2015.

Stone repair specialists will be measuring and making replacement stone from a quarry not far from where the Capitol's architect, Cass Gilbert, selected the original marble.

Experts found stone and brick damage from years of freezing and thawing and corrosion of the material used to anchor the stones to the building. Testing and assessment of repair methods has gone on since mid-October.

The Capitol Preservation Commission approved a $241 million restoration plan last year, which also includes upgrades to the building's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

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