The decision by the Corcoran Gallery of Art to close for seven weeks in order to repair its leaking glass and copper roof comes as an about face of sorts. When museum director Paul Greenhalgh came to the museum in 2006, he — like every other director in the museum’s history — inherited the problem with the 1897 beaux-arts building. Minor repairs have been made to the roof throughout the building’s history, although it has never been replaced. And the last touchup was nearly 30 years ago.

Greenhalgh’s original solution for the leaky roof diverged from that of his predecessor (former director David Levy) in two ways: It would not require the building to close, and it would cost much less. Widely reported estimates predating Greenhalgh’s arrival pegged the total renovation cost at somewhere around $40 million. That figure, however, was rolled up with a much more expansive project: the failed Frank Gehry wing. After the Gehry plan was abandoned and the leadership changed, the museum determined that that restoration figure was inflated.

Greenhalgh and Corcoran chief financial officer Christopher Leahy have since tweaked their repair plans. Last year, this writer reported in the Washington City Paper that the roof repair costs would total $12 million. The Washington Post’s Jacqueline Trescott reports that the figure for the first phase of the repair project — replacing the roof and air system in one part of the building — will cost $12.5 million, with the overall price drifting toward $17 million.

At the top of the Corcoran’s Christmas list this year? Another $4.5 million. Leahy says that the museum has a plan in place should that money not materialize. Given the museum’s recent history of fundraising hiccups and a truly dreadful financial winter, the contingency plan might very well become the goal.

But presuming the Corcoran does raise that money, will the museum stay closed for a longer period? Will it need to close again in the future to finish the job?

Photo by sarahlucy04