Budget item foretells of repairs ahead for War Memorial, Soldiers & Sailors Monument
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More repairs appear to be needed at the Indiana War Memorial and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument based on a request before the State Budget Committee.
A total of $2,200 was requested from the Indiana War Memorial Commission to start work on Shrine Room plaster repairs. The room inside the War Memorial was designed with architectural features to inspire and promote citizenship.
The committee’s agenda says that the room “sustained serious plaster damage due to infiltration from the roof.
“The plaster repairs in this section of the IWM (Indiana War Memorial) building require specialized access and scaffolding due to the height of the space, the historic and ornate nature of the room, and the extent of plaster damage.”
The War Memorial’s museum reopened in April after renovations that had included fixing a leaky roof.
Also, the Indiana War Memorial Commission is seeking nearly $10,000 for a waterproofing project at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument located on Monument Circle.
The committee’s agenda says, “There are several sections of the plaza in which the stone has deteriorated, areas where the granolithic concrete needs to be replaced, and large portions with no sealant that are taking on significant amounts of water.”
Once the waterproofing is done, plans call for the installation of a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the basement museum.
The budget committee will meet starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Senate Appropriations Room 431 of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis.
News 8 reported in September 2022 that the War Memorial Commission was spending $7 million to repair crumbling stairs at Monument Circle.