Repair and restoration begins on October 19 at Coit Tower, the iconic Art Deco landmark on San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill.  Jon Gollinger with the group Protect Coit Tower says the building’s Depression-era frescoes have been damaged by water leaking into the building. 

"If you walk up there now," says Gollinger, "you can see, on half a dozen murals, where the water has exploded the paint. That’s what happens on frescoes. It’s a process called efflorescence that explodes the paint. So you can see white swirls on a number of the murals that just looks like mistreatment, but it’s actually water leakage."

The city of San Francisco has set aside about $1.5 million for the repairs, which will also include the exterior of the tower and emergency repairs to the roof.  In June, city voters approved a preservation policy for the landmark structure.