Truman Building limestone getting temporary fix

Two weeks ago, a limestone slab fell from the side of the Truman State Office Building's southwest corner - and structural engineers called in to investigate said other panels could be a problem.

"We are in the process of temporarily anchoring all of the panels on the building for the time being," Office of Administration spokeswoman Ryan Burns told the News Tribune Monday. "The temporary anchors will ensure that no further panels fail."

No one was hurt when the panel fell on Aug. 8.

"The perimeter scaffolding in place around the building for the ongoing roofing project will remain in place - and the pedestrian areas will remain blocked off for safety purposes," Burns said.

The only exception is the main entrances to the building, she said, and the limestone panels in those areas "were previously re-anchored," so the entrances are safe for people to enter and leave the building.

Burns emphasized the temporary anchors are a short-term solution.

"Next we will move into the design and construction of the larger project to permanently secure the panels to the building," she explained, "but we do not have any further estimate on project duration or cost at this time."

The Harry S Truman Building was authorized by the Legislature in 1979, then re-authorized when lawmakers in January 1980 overrode then-Gov. Joe Teasdale's veto of the plan.

The eight-story, $48-million building project opened in 1983.