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A restoration team has discovered the original color of the historic 1929 building was an earthy adobe shade.

The courthouse鈥檚 pink facade likely emerged as the original paint鈥檚 yellow and red undertones faded in the sun, said Corky Poster, architect and principal with Poster Frost Mirto, which specializes in historic preservation. The county hired the firm to oversee the restoration of the iconic courthouse.

As subsequent painters sought to match the faded color each time it was repainted, the courthouse grew pinker over time, he said.

The original color was discovered in the building鈥檚 interior, on part of a door jamb that had been protected from sunlight for almost a century, Poster said.

鈥淚t was a time capsule,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like they put the paint color in a box and buried it. It gave us a very good notion of the color.鈥�

The update to the paint color will be the most noticeable change to the courthouse鈥檚 exterior resulting from its restoration, said Linda Mayro, director of the Pima County Office of Sustainability and Restoration.

The restoration project will return the Spanish Revival-style courthouse to the architect鈥檚 original vision, while adhering to the U.S. secretary of the interior鈥檚 standards for restoration, she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to restore the integrity of the architect鈥檚 and county鈥檚 intent back in 1929,鈥� she said.

Mayro presented the plans for the color change to the 蜜柚直播-Pima County Historical Commission on Jan. 11, and all members supported the new paint, she said.

The new color was developed by Dunn-Edwards Paints, which for years had manufactured paint to match the courthouse鈥檚 existing rosy tone, with a color called 鈥淥ld Pima Pink.鈥�

The updated color, which harks back to the original, will be known as 鈥淣ew Pima Pink,鈥� because it still has rosy undertones, said Sam Samaniego, architectural service representative for Dunn-Edwards.

鈥淐ROWNING ACHIEVEMENT鈥�

Designed by architect Roy Place, the old county courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1977 submitted to the register describes it as the 鈥渕ost outstanding Spanish Colonial Revival building in 蜜柚直播,鈥� a departure from the primarily European-style county courthouses throughout the country.

The nomination describes its red-tiled roofs, the 鈥渆legant鈥� tiled dome topped with a copper lantern, balconies with carved ornamentation and archways lining a covered walkway overlooking the courtyard.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of the crowning achievement of Roy Place 鈥� probably 蜜柚直播鈥檚 best architect that most folks never heard of,鈥� Poster said.

Place鈥檚 heyday was between 1920 and 1940, and he鈥檚 responsible for nearly all the public works buildings constructed in those years, as well as dozens of University of 蜜柚直播 buildings, Poster said. Place also designed the Southern 蜜柚直播 Veterans Affairs Health Care System on South Sixth Avenue and the Pioneer Hotel downtown.

On Friday afternoon, many visitors passing through El Presidio Park behind the courthouse were enthused about the new paint, which is already applied on a west-facing section of the courthouse.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic they were able to find the original color,鈥� said Robert Mu帽oz, who works for Pima County financial services. 鈥淚t adds to the history of the building.鈥�

But some were disappointed to see the hallmark pink go away. Sharon Rhoy, who worked in the courthouse鈥檚 Justice Court offices before her retirement, said the new shade is 鈥渂oring.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to stand out. I loved the charm of the building the way it was,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was attached to the pink because I think it complemented the architecture.鈥�

For Rob McCright, who works in the TransAmerica building downtown, the courthouse鈥檚 new hue is an aesthetic improvement.

Currently, 鈥渢here鈥檚 so much pink,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 actually think it鈥檒l look better.鈥� The only downside is he鈥檒l have to change how he gives directions, he said.

鈥淵ou won鈥檛 be able to say, 鈥楪o to the pink building and turn left,鈥欌�� he said.

RENOVATION PLANS

Pima County officials are taking advantage of the vacant state of the courthouse to embark on the renovation project, Mayro said. The courthouse emptied in 2015 after the Justice Courts, treasurer, assessor and recorder鈥檚 offices moved out.

Plans are in the works to convert it to a regional visitors center, she said.

Repairs planned for the courthouse include replacing the electrical, air-conditioning and plumbing systems; fixing broken tiles and repairing leaks on the building鈥檚 turquoise dome; and redoing the roof using the historic red tiles.

The estimated cost of the exterior rehabilitation and systems upgrades is about $11 million, and additional costs of building out tenant spaces is still unknown since the designs aren鈥檛 finished, said Lisa Josker, Pima County director of facilities management.

Contractors recently discovered the courthouse鈥檚 Dillinger Courtroom 鈥� where infamous bank robber John Dillinger and his accomplices were arraigned in 1934 鈥� was originally bigger than its current size, Josker said. Removing ceiling tiles in an adjacent jury room revealed the original wood trim extends from the courtroom into the jury room. The courtroom will be restored to its original size, Josker said.

The exterior renovation of the courthouse should wrap up in April or May, but completion of the more extensive interior renovations will take another 18 months or so, Poster said.

The restoration team鈥檚 initial assessment of the courthouse revealed it鈥檚 in good condition.

鈥淚t has by no means been neglected. The county has been a very good steward of the building,鈥� he said.