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By Lookout Staff

January 8 -- Unable to contain a persistent termite problem with localized treatments, City officials will tent Santa Monica City Hall this month and fumigate the historic building.

The 70-year-old building will be tented after 5 p.m. on Friday, January 18 and fumigation will continue into Saturday in an effort to kill off a dry wood termite colony that has resisted treatment in various areas of the structure for several years, City officials said.

The building will be aerated through Monday, January 21 and reoccupied pending the approval of the pest management company, which will continuously test the air, officials said.

“After discussions with the several pest control companies, the City has determined that fumigation is the best option to address this building’s termite infestation,” City officials wrote in a statement. “Innovative Pest Management will be performing the work.”

A security company will be hired to ensure that there is no access into the facility throughout the process, officials said.

Information concerning the dry wood termite, the fumigation process and the types of chemicals to be used in the treatment has been provided to all full-, part-time and as-needed employees at City Hall as well as a checklist for preparing the building, according to a statement issued by the City.

City Hall employees and visitors can meet with representatives from the contractor, Innovative Pest Management, which will review the treatment process and be available to answer questions on Monday and Tuesday January 14 and 15. These informational sessions will be held at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on both dates.

Designed by prominent Los Angeles architect Donald Parkinson, Santa Monica City Hall is recognized as an outstanding example of the Public Works Administration (PWA) Moderne
style of architecture popularized by Depression-era architects, according to City staff.

Original Gladding, McBean ceramic tiles grace the west entrance doorway and can be found throughout the building. Historic Stanton Macdonald-Wright murals in the entry foyer
document the city’s and the state’s history.

Built in 1938, the building is a City, State and National landmark.