Before the demolition.It was one year ago that a wrecking crew took down a building that had stood on North Avenue since 1886.
I watched in troubled fascination as heavy machinery bashed it to bits in one day after bricks began falling from a parapet. Some wanted to find a way to preserve the facade, as the building was integral to the streetscape across from the main train station and was part of the North Avenue Commercial Historic District.
It was not to be.
Clearing the site took another two months at a cost of about $200,000. Plaintalker pointed out vaults under the sidewalk that were not sealed off, and on this anniversary once again let us raise a concern about how the fill is settling into the vaults. Large holes have developed along the chain link fence that separates the lot from the sidewalk.
The same thing happened when another building was taken down many years ago at North Avenue and Gavett Place and there is still settling going on at that site. However, the 2010 demolition was done under the scrutiny of city engineers who surely must have realized the need to wall off the vaults before filling the excavated basement. Let's hope somebody is monitoring this site, as it could present a liability in its present condition. Click here for an October 2010 post on the subject.
--Bernice
Let's see, the city stood by and watch a building without a roof slowly begin to fail until it had to be destroyed.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think the chances are anyone is seriously even monitoring that sight, or better yet, has even attempted to recoup the money spent on destroying it?
Plainfiled: Chances aren't that good.
If the contract with the demolition company was carefully developed between the attorneys and the city engineers it should identify contractor follow-up responsibilites such as the settlement that is going on. Not only did the contractor have to demolish the building but they also have to infill and compact the site so it is stabilized. Stabilization doesn't always occur properly with the first pass, especially after a hard winter which can cause uneven settlement. Is the contractor on the hook for these things through a 1-2 year warranty or a maintenace bond?
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