The Saga of the Dunn Continues
At the December 17 meeting of the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) Committee, it seemed that help was finally on the way for the deteriorating Dunn warehouse, one of the last surviving 19th-century industrial buildings on the Hudson waterfront. Structural engineers from Chazen had come up with a plan for immediate winter repair and were working on plans for long-term stabilization. Things seemed to be looking up, but at Wednesday's DRI Committee meeting, hopes for any repair to help the building make it through the winter were dashed.
The bids for the emergency repairs to the roof were due in on Monday, January 27, but none were received. DPW superintendent Rob Perry reported that requests for bids were sent to eighteen roofing contractors: six did not respond at all; six said they were too busy; six asked for plans; but none submitted a bid. He then contacted a local roofer and asked for an estimate. The initial estimate was more than $27,000, but they were still waiting for a price on the steel decking. (The structural engineer who had recommended the method of repair estimated it would cost between $10,000 and $15,000.) While the meeting was going on, Perry received the information that the steel decking would cost $9,000, and the estimate had gone up to $33,000. Because the repair is temporary and will be undone when the full stabilization is undertaken, the committee decided to "park" any action on the temporary fix.
The effort to rescue the Dunn building is stalled once again in discussions of options for ownership, the benefits and drawbacks of National Register listing, and Empire State Development's requirement that there be "an investor on board" before any of the $1 million in DRI money can be spent on the building. Chris Round proposed putting together an "opportunity package" to solicit "expressions of interest" but warned that it would not be a "quick process." Mayor's aide Michael Chameides told him, "We all think we should move ahead."
The next meeting of the DRI Committee will take place on Tuesday, February 18, at 3:00 p.m.
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Shame that the DRI doesn't have 25 local master tradesmen willing to donate their time and money, like North Dock once did.
ReplyDeleteI think Hudson needs to implement its own version of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which, among other worthy projects, created beautiful, well-built structures, put people back to work and created a skilled workforce.
ReplyDeleteSo many qualified roofers buzzing around, you'd think a couple would show some compassion. Inexpensive materials like exterior grade plywood and ice & water shield. What's the big deal!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching this structure deteriorate for the 21 years I've lived in Hudson. The notion of doing a temporary fix on a dangerous building is nobodies cup of tea. It's also a waste of money for a town this poor. Come up with a financed master plan or let it deteriorate. The options are few. It's a money sink any way you look at it.
ReplyDeleteOnce a roof rots to the point where a hole like this opens up it is a very short time before the building is destroyed. A few sheets of plywood and a tarp would have prevented this for a couple of hundred dollars. This is demolition by neglect. Wasn't there a proposal a few years back by someone interested in putting a restaurant there? Funny how people will jump up and down protesting that but then stand idly by while the building rots away in front of their eyes.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that is the problem, it is out of view. Council meetings should be moved there - and lets put the Mayors office in one of those furgery shacks. Then they can all sit around breathing in mold and wiping rotting wood crumbs and rain off their brows while they debate the virtues of banning B&Bs and finding more sites for Section 8 housing.
The city is surrounded by decay on all sides, there is plenty of real work to do here, but what is our govt. doing? Debating plans to tax the good citizens and create more debt to repair (for free) the sidewalks for all the slackers and thinking of ways to put the brakes on the tourist economy. Come on folks, surely there is a good photo op to be had in front of a collapsing roof, rotting shack, decaying factory and empty warehouse.
P.Winslow, are you new to the ways of Hudson?
DeleteKind of ironic to hear the "whining" of people who have only been here for three decades.
DeleteThe place is being held ransom for grants. Last thing wanted is people who would do the job gratis.
Waiting for grants is all well and good, but not doing such a simple and inexpensive thing like protecting the leaking roof with a tarp is totally irresponsible. If our local government does not have the will or capability to preserve or do something with the building then it should be sold to someone who can. A nice restaurant in that spot certainly would have been better than allowing a historic building to rot away and cave in on itself.
DeleteI tend to agree with P. Winslow. It's been the same with the whole waterfront since the tanks came down and the postage stamp park was built (a big improvement I might say. And 15 years after a the City received a green light from the State when the cement plant was refused in 2005, nothing has happened.
ReplyDeleteAsking for bids now is nothing more than asking for excessive estimates. There's time for that later when all the details are in. The building has been professionally assessed. It's a scary hole but the engineers didn't say it's on the verge of collapse. Well... not yet. In an emergency, a top roofing company's know-how and volunteerism would be the answer. It's their profession to make safe emergency repairs. There'd be the reward of recognition for civic duty. Hey, they'd be heroes. Add an incentive for a winning bid when the time comes for the rehab. It's not unheard of for suppliers to donate materials or provide deep discounts when a building such as this is in dire straits. Rescuing an historic iconic building is certainly something to be proud of.
ReplyDelete