A Plan for the Dunn Warehouse

Winter hasn't officially begun yet, and we're already having our second snow. Every time it snows, one wonders how many more winters the Dunn warehouse--the only industrial building left on Hudson's waterfront--can survive.

For those of us who worry about the building, there is good news. At the last DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) Committee meeting, which took place on December 10, Michael Baron, structural engineer with Chazen Companies, presented a plan for immediate short-term winter repair and a plan, to be carried out next spring and summer, to stabilize the building for further restoration. The total cost is estimated to be $384,000, which will be paid for by the Restore NY grant received by the City at the beginning of 2017. 

The short-term winter repair involves installing a metal deck on the roof on the east part of the building, where there is now a hole.

The deck would extend up past the roof line and be strapped down so the wind doesn't blow it off. Walter Chatham, an architect, who has served on the DRI Committee ex officio as chair of the Planning Board, declared the plan was a great solution, noting that it was not labor intensive. He encouraged the committee "to get as much work done as soon as possible." There was unanimous agreement to move ahead with the winter repair, dubbed Phase 1.

The longer term plan for stabilization, to be carried out in the spring and summer, involves repairs to the roof and structural wood, metal bracing of the south wall, masonry restoration, and abatement of hazardous materials. (There is asbestos on the pipes, in the sealants on the windows, and in some of the roof shingles, and there is lead paint.)  

A complete project proposal is expected to be presented to the DRI Committee at its next meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, January 7, at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall. The bid package for the work to be undertaken in the spring and summer is expected to be ready in February.
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