Cost to repair Newton Falls Community Center: $1.7 million
By Ed Runyan
NEWTON FALLS
Residents of Newton Falls heard a long presentation Monday on the problems at the village community center: black mold, a “serious and life-threatening” electrical problem and need for repair or replacement of nearly every part of the building.
Denise Holt, a Youngs-town architect, described only a few items that didn’t need to be replaced or repaired and said the total to fix 35 problem areas is $1.7 million.
Because the problems are so extensive, Law Director A. Joseph Fritz stated his opinion that the facility, built in 1942, would be too unsafe to reopen without repairs.
The village closed it at the end of last year, citing defects.
Holt worked with DeSalvo Construction of Hubbard to provide village officials with an estimate of the cost to replace the facility: $2.17 million.
When the presentation in council chambers was over, resident Keith Capirano seemed to be speaking for many in the audience when he expressed his frustration.
“The assessment tonight is very disturbing. I don’t think anybody knew how bad it was,” he said.
Regarding the lack of a working fire-alarm system and lack of a fire-sprinkler system, he said: “What if there would have been a fire in there during a wedding? You just stopped renting it out in November. You’ve been renting it out in that condition.”
He’s also angry that officials let it get so bad.
“If we can’t trust you with making simple repairs to the building, how could we trust you with a new building?”
He was one of several people who said Newton Falls can’t afford a $1.7 million rehab or $2.17 million replacement.
“So we’re going to lose a part of our history, a part of our town because of the ineptitude of our leaders,” he said.
Resident Bud Fetterolf said some of the items Holt and DeSalvo have recommended – such as the sprinkler system – could be eliminated.
Parks and Recreation member Tim Stinson asked Joseph DeSalvo of DeSalvo Construction to provide a “bare minimum” cost to bring the building up to code. DeSalvo said he would do that.
Holt said the the basement sometimes floods, which submerges electrical equipment down there. She called it an “electrocution hazard” and recommended that no one enter that area “upon signs of flooding.”
She said other problem areas are a sloping floor, damage to siding and windows, “known problems with black mold in wall areas” and the possibility of more not yet revealed, lack of insulation, need for new roof and windows, sanitary sewer backups, undersized toilet areas, heating units near the end of useful life, asbestos and lead in the building, need for parking upgrades, repairs to foundation, basement walls and footer drains and exteior ramp.