AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta leaders taking a close look at the Municipal Building, and some concerned about what they see.
“This is the people’s building, and people that come here should be able to do so safely without fear of a panel falling on them,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.
There are more than a thousand marble panels on the building, but one of them had to be removed.
After it came loose, due to a rusted fastener, the concern is: how many more are rusted on the 66-year-old building?
“It could be a dangerous situation. For me, the biggest part is that one of those panels fall into the new existing facility or the side third floors going down could cause more damage to the building,” said Interim Central Services Department Director Ron Lampkin.
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An engineering report states a reasonable scenario exists where a marble façade panel could fall from the structure; it’s recommending to X-ray all panels to see if any others are loose.