North Adams Seeks Emergency Preservation Funds for Notre Dame
Three buttresses will be to partially demolished and rebuilt.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city is asking the state for emergency funding to help address the "dangerous condition" of Notre Dame Church.
His plan is to use any emergency funds and the city match totaling $100,000 to fix the water collection system ($14,270) and the balance toward as much of the brickwork as can be restored. The city would apply for another round of preservation funding later in the year to complete the restoration.
Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund are available at the "secretary's discretion for stabilization of resources considered in imminent danger."
In his letter to Galvin, the mayor notes the city has already lost the historic St. Francis of Assissi Church to the wrecking ball because of "catastrophic structural failure."
"... the Notre Dame Church has been vacant now for well over 15 yearse and is beginning to show its age," he said. "The attached reports and photos from Barry Engineers and Constructors Inc. shows a significant need for brickwork that will allow us to keep the building 'in play' for future development."
City officials had not considered the church as in as a dire a strait as St. Francis, but Barry Engineers and Constructors Inc. in its report said the "building structure must be repaired immediately to avoid partial or a major building collapse."
The engineers are concerned that service loads such as "gravity, wind, snow and seismic" will put undue pressure on the weakened buttresses.
"Repairs must be completed prior to the winter season to avoid snow loads and continued water entry and freeze and thaw conditions," the report states.
The water issues were the result of the vandalizing and theft of the roof gutter that allowed water to pour down on the brick masonry. The engineering report focused on the affected areas and not other parts of the church, including the steeple, and was limited to visible observation.
There is no indication of water infiltration in the interior; but buttress 11, in the rear, has fully collapsed and buttress 10 is near collapse. An interior staircase at buttress 11 shows a wall crack. Both buttresses will require complete restoration. A third buttress also needs significant repair and five others moderate repair to minor repointing. The brownstone caps also need repointing and the one over the front door to be reset.
Barry also recommends checking all masonry joints for repointing and repairing and replacing the gutter system. The estimates are $197,500 for the masonry and $14,270 for the gutters.
The report warns that "additional work might be discovered and the probably estimates of construction costs could be more or less than the estimate."
Alcombright has previously stated he would like the city to divest some of its real estate. The 140-year-old church, closed in 2005, was purchased by the city in 2007 largely to save the steeple. Its rectory was sold but there is still a large school on the property.
The mayor indicated that repairing the building will be critical to its reuse.
"I have had the building appraised and will be issuing an RFP to see if we can find an investor with an 'appropriate' plan that will put the building to good use while preserving its envelope to include its massive and beautiful steeple," he wrote to Galvin.
Tags: church, historic buildings, historic preservation,
