The lead framer settled the 2,000 pound, refurbished cupola on top of the Botanical Garden building in Balboa Park on Wednesday morning, Jan. 17. All the wood was replaced but the copper steeple and dome is the same one first installed in 1915 as part of the Panama-California Exposition.

Extended timeline 

At a tour of the worksite, Jim Summers, Senior Construction Manager of EC Constructors, Inc. estimated the project is 60% done. 

“It’s a process to reconstruct a building that’s been around for almost 115 years,” Summers said.  

The family-owned construction company specializes in public works. Aspects of historic renovation were new for the firm, although not blamed as a reason for the extended construction timeline – with the conclusion of Phase I now expected in the late summer or fall, pending weather – eight months after the original plan.  

Edgar Lozano, AEP Senior Civil Engineer at the City’s Public Works Department, said the extent of the damage to the building could not be known by initial inspections because certain aspects were hidden behind walls. It was when concrete and stucco were removed that repairs got bigger.  

Summers said the city originally thought the steel only needed to be repaired in 150 locations. EC Constructors repaired the steel in 1,258 places. The marine coating on the steel should last 50-60 years at least, according to Summers. 

While small plants are in storage at a nursery, crews had to preserve large plants in place, making the construction process delicate.  

“It’s going to be worth it. It’s going to be beautiful,” Lozano said.  

A return to 1915 

The Botanical structure is one of only four original buildings from the exposition still standing. Its open-air concept is partially why the structure was in such disrepair before the renovation. The last major reconstruction was in the 1950s, and included changes like replacing the stucco arches with lattice.  

The comprehensive reconstruction will bring the building back to how it looked in 1915, down to the paint color which historians did spectrographic analysis of to find a modern equivalent. The windows inside the returned arches were recreated by other historic experts based on the original designs and drawings from 1915.  

Sandra Gramley of Platt White Law Architects, the architect who examined those original drawings, said the craftsmanship and process of building the one-of-kind wood lath building remains largely the same as it did in 1915.  

“We are doing it just the way the guys did it 100 years ago, but now we have better materials,” Gramley said. “Especially the wood hasn’t changed that much. I mean, it’s just wood and stucco.”  

Just as in 1915, the curved slat roof is being made from Redwood. At the time of its creation, California was promoting Redwood as a building material for the world said Gramley. Today Redwood is largely used in homes, not commercial sites. At some point between the 1950s and ‘90s, the Redwood roof was painted. EC Constructors used a clear gloss on the newly installed Redwood lath so the wood can showcase its array of colors as it ages.  

Another reversal from the ‘50s reconstruction was to remove the steel trusses from concrete barrels that covered the bottom section of the steel.  The bare steel trusses now sit on concrete footings from the original design.  

“We actually shored up four of the trusses at a time, cut off the bottom of the trusses, and then rebuilt it from here down,” Summers said, gesturing at about five or six feet high.  

New additions 

Although the focus is on historic preservation, modern amenities are being added. The Botanical building will have indoor lighting for the first time, which could extend visiting hours. Pathways are wider now to accommodate people with disabilities. A new patio is being added to the west end outside large wooden doors.  

When the small plants are brought back, new plants will be added to the longer-lasting concrete planters that replaced the brick planters inside. New irrigation methods should save water as well.  

The $28.5 million reconstruction, a budget above initial estimates, has been largely funded by the City with an $8 million state grant.  

Forever Balboa Park, the nonprofit manager of Balboa Park, is fundraising for an additional $10 million for Phase II of the project, an exterior garden focused on native plants and water conservation. The funds will also cover some programming and education. Elizabeth Babcock, the CEO of Forever Balboa Park, said the Botanical garden is important not just as a place of leisure and relaxation, but as a way to learn the importance of botany and biodiversity. She said 100 donors have funded $4 million of Phase II.