A renovated Governor's Mansion should be opened to the public on July 24. But don't look for Gov. Mike Leavitt and his family to take up residence there. At least not permanently, anyway.
"The correct term is co-reside," said first lady Jackie Leavitt of the Leavitt family's decision to stay in their Laird Avenue home. "The mansion has intrinsic value that cannot be duplicated in the way you can entertain, the gatherings, the interviews and state functions. It has a wonderful sense of history."But it's not exactly home. And with children who are involved in sports, school activities and Scouting, "there are benefits" to staying at the Laird Avenue residence.
In other words, the mansion will be opened for official state functions, governor's interviews, tours, arts performances, formal parties and as guest suites for visiting dignitaries. And Jackie Leavitt will also have her offices there.
But "we will spend a great deal of our personal time at our residence," she said. "But we will probably spend some here, too."
The first lady's comments came Tuesday during a tour of restoration efforts at the mansion, which burned in a pre-Christmas fire just over two years ago. So far, restoration crews have spent $5.1 million on the project, and before the doors open in July the total is expected to reach $7.8 million.
Project architect Max Smith estimated that about 90 percent of the third-floor restoration has been completed, 75 percent of the second floor and 50 percent of the first floor. Crews have been working from the top down.
Crews are now placing finishing touches on several rooms, adding the carved woodwork, tiles, marble and millwork.
Over the past two years, crews have completely disassembled the mansion, cleaned the charcoal, ashes, soot and scorching and then put the mansion back together. "It will be more wonderful than it was before," Leavitt said.
Only about 20 percent of the interior features could be salvaged, mandating that original carvings and plaster decorations be replicated. Smith said the nation's leading architectural conservators have been involved in the project, which has garnered international acclaim by historical preservationists.
Nationally, "It is the restoration project of the decade," Leavitt added.
Interior decorator Ellie Sontagg said "you could not ask for better craftsmanship" than what has been done on the mansion, predicting the final product will be "a brilliant display of color and light."
Sontagg will be responsible for the finishing touches on the mansion, including the window coverings, light fixtures and some furnishings. The Governor's Mansion Foundation is trying to raise $250,000 toward that end but is still $57,000 short. The fund was bolstered by a $30,000 contribution from Wardley Foundation and $25,000 from Kennecott.
Although most of the mansion is being restored to its original condition, the second floor has been remodeled to afford the governor's family some semblance of privacy - something the old mansion was lacking.
But privacy aside, the mansion will not be a full-time residence to the Leavitts, who have lived on Laird Avenue for 16 years. But "we will fit the mansion to our needs," Leavitt said.