Mold Repair Costs More Than $1.7 Million

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mold removal at the Governor’s Mansion and two other buildings at the mansion complex cost more than $1.7 million, according to the state Budget and Control Board.

Repairs to the mansion cost $1.02 million, said board spokesman Michael Sponhour. Repairs to the Lace and Caldwell-Boylston houses cost a combined $745,000.

Both of the projects are being paid from the depreciation reserve fund, which is used for major renovations of state property.

The South Carolina Energy Office also made a $130,000 grant toward the mansion project, which involves a more efficient heating and air system.

The repairs involved improving and upgrading mechanical systems rather than “cleaning up” mold. A cleanup without fixing the underlying mechanical problem would only lead to the problem reappearing, Sponhour said.

The mansion has undergone about $6 million in renovations in the past five years and the Budget and Control Board is trying to recoup some of the mold repair cost from the contractors who did the renovation work.

Author: Carolyn Willbanks