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Roof Collapses at Historic Hoosac Mill

Tammy Daniels
image description
Damage can be seen to the sawtooth tops of the walls at the historic Hoosac Mill.

A section of roof has fallen in on the NoAMA Mill (Hoosac Mill) and structural damage is apparent in other areas. The city has closed the building and the owner has engineers checking the building.

 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The massive Hoosac Mill is the latest victim of the wave of roof collapses caused by this winter's record snowstorms. A section of the roof has fallen in and other areas are suspect.

It is unclear when the collapse occurred but Building Inspector William Meranti said the city "became aware of it on the 11th and posted the building as unsafe on the 11th."

The building, now known as NoAMA for North Adams, Mass., has been closed since Friday, Feb. 11, according to a message on the office phone. Attempts to contact owner Ariel Sutain have not yet been successful.

Meranti said the entire building was deemed unsafe because of its construction and another area that is in danger of collpase. Sutain has one or several engineers working on the problem, he said.

The 265,000 square-foot mill was being leased for storage and light manufacturing. An anonymous email received by iBerkshires on Thursday said "no one is allowed in the building, even those who have property stored there."

"We've been fielding a lot of question from tenants," said Meranti. "Until we get a report back saying we can use some portion of the building, we can't let anyone one in."

Sutain bought the building in 2007 and has been upgrading and repairing it, including replacing windows and repointing the brickwork, over the last few years. One section has become a gallery and another has hosted artists for the North Adams Open Studios.

The mill was built in 1906 as part of the sprawling textile empire of Arnold Print Works and then purchased by the Hoosac Cotton Co. in 1911. It was later occuped by Hunter Outdoor Products and was a mushroom factory, Delftree.

The "serrated" roof configuration was made to allow for east-facing windows that brought light into the building. The windows were covered over years ago.

Also over the weekend, an old barn/garage on River Road in Clarksburg collapsed. The last significant snowfall was last Monday and Tuesday, when up to 8 inches fell over the region. No major snowfall is expected in the next week.

     

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Voting Registration Deadlines

:: Preliminary Election: Deadline to register is Wednesday, Sept. 7. (Office open from 8 to 8.)
:: General Election: Deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 18

Registration can be completed at the city clerk's office at City Hall.

Absentee ballots are now available at the city clerk's office for the Sept. 27 preliminary city election. Voters may come in between the hours of 8 and 4:30 weekdays. Written reguests for mailed ballots can be sent to City Clerk's Office, 10 Main St., North Adams, MA 01247. Deadline for absentee ballots is Monday, Sept. 26, at noon.

The preliminary election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 27, to narrow the field of three mayoral candidates to two. The general election to select nine city councilors and a mayor will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8.


 

City Council

Returned Papers
As of 8/9 at 5 p.m.
 Lisa M. Blackmer* Yes
 Michael Bloom Yes
 Keith Bona* Yes
 David Bond* Yes
 Marie Harpin* Yes
 Alan Marden* Yes
 John Barrett Yes
 Eric R. Buddington Yes
 Nancy P. Bullett Yes
 Robert Cardimino Yes
 Catherine Chaput Yes
 Roland G. Gardner  
 Diane M. Gallese-Parsons  Yes
Shane Gaudreau  
 James B. Gyurasz  Yes
 Michael Hernandez  Yes
 Jennifer Breen Kirsch  Yes
Brian L. Flagg  
 Kellie A. Morrison  Yes
 Greg Roach  Yes
 Gail Kolis Sellers  Yes
18 candidates returned papers
 
 Mayor  
 Richard J. Alcombright*  Yes
 Ronald A. Boucher  Yes
 Robert Martelle  Yes
 Preliminary election will eliminate one
 
 School Committee  
 Mary Lou Accetta* Yes
 Lawrence K. Taft* Yes
 Leonard Giroux Jr.  Yes
 Tara J. Jacobs  Yes
 David Lamarre Yes
   
McCann School Committee  
 George M. Canales Yes

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