I returned to Bellwether six weeks later with a final structural report and a revised proposal for the council.
The snow had softened to slush along the main roads, but the Rialto's roof still wore a white layer. The temporary brace had remained in place. City inspectors had signed off on it each week, and the owner's contractor had covered the exposed section with a weatherproof membrane.
The full survey was less hopeful than the preliminary report. The south truss could be repaired. The north truss needed reinforcement. Two sections of roof deck had rotted through, and the auditorium's west wall had lost part of its mortar bond. The building was not in imminent danger of collapse, but it could not be opened without extensive work.
The cost estimate had two options. Full restoration, i
