Albion City Hall will soon see long-awaited repairs to its roof and windows after the Albion City Council approved $74,298 in contracts with Roach Home Improvement.
The work follows damage from a March 30 windstorm, which led to temporary tarps covering sections of the roof and oriented strand board (OSB) placed over one of the building’s front windows.
On that Sunday, a powerful squall line brought severe wind gusts and multiple tornadoes to Mid-Michigan and across the state. The storm system caused significant property damage, uprooted trees, and widespread power outages, with wind gusts reaching over 90 miles per hour in some locations, including a 96-mph gust at the Jackson County Airport.
Of the total contract, about $67,000 is for City Hall itself, covering a new steel roof and replacement of all 12 front-facing windows.
That portion is being funded largely through insurance proceeds from the March 30 storm, supplemented by city funds.
The plan is to replace the shingled roof with steel, wrapped in a snow and ice guard membrane, and to provide a 50-year paint warranty.
“This is a chance to be done with it once and for all,” Public Works Director Jason Kern said, adding that steel costs have fallen below shingles and should offer better long-term value.
The remaining amount covers a new roof for the salt barn at the city’s street department, which is being paid for separately through the equipment fund.
Nearby, Albion College’s Ludington Center, which also backs onto the river, was damaged in the same storm but repaired separately by the college. Unlike City Hall, it is not city-owned, and it is among the downtown properties on which Albion College pays property taxes.
Kern noted that the city had only recently received the insurance settlement check, allowing the work to move forward after months of delay.
See the Overview article about the September 2, 2025, Albion City Council meeting.
This meeting had an agenda of 188 pages.