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Architect: Niles City Hall structurally sound, but in bad shape
By Jordan Cohen
NILES
Warren architect Bruce Sekanick will tell council today that city hall is “structurally sound,” however he declined to say if he thinks the 89-year-old building is worth repairing.
“I plan to give them a smorgasbord of options,” Sekanick said Tuesday. “They will have to decide about the costs of making improvements versus the costs to relocate elsewhere.”
Council hired Sekanick on Aug. 22 to assess the extent of damage and costs of repairs due to a leaking roof long in disrepair, mold problems, buckling brick veneer and structural issues with a basement wall. At the time, he estimated the bill for his services at “$38,000 to $53,000” depending on the extent of work.
He is to address a public forum this evening before the council meeting on the state of the building. “We’re still working on the numbers,” he said.
“The city building is in the worst shape, [but] we’re not going to tell them you can’t use the building,” the architect said. “We can make [it] reusable again.”
Roof leaks were found to be responsible for mold in several offices. The mold sickened three people, including Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia who was hospitalized for nearly a week. Concern for health and safety led to a one-day shutdown of the building.
In addition, parts of the brick veneer are “buckling,” Sekanick said, and the east wall in the basement has structural issues caused by water under a sidewalk that has been seeping into the basement.
Since then, scrubbers have been running to eradicate the mold while the basement and offices of the mayor and income-tax department have been sealed off. The tax office has since relocated to the city’s wellness center.
Sekanick confirmed the roof has been in a state of disrepair for years. He said “ponding water” also has contributed to deterioration with leaks and subsequent mold the results.
Despite a construction company report urging roof replacement in 2011, the administration of former Mayor Ralph Infante chose to patch holes instead. Sekanick said that in retrospect, the roof’s condition required much more.
Council has asked the architect if the entire roof should be replaced or only the portions of it above the building’s city-hall portion.
Sekanick plans to give council estimates on costs of repairing the brick veneer. Some of the bricks have fallen to the sidewalk.
“Brick facing is supposed to keep water from getting in, but like the roof, it doesn’t appear there was any maintenance on it,” Sekanick said.
For the wall problem in the basement, Sekanick said he will recommend the city address the water leakage from outside by building an interior wall and a new sidewalk.
But is it worth it for a city in fiscal emergency for nearly two years to spend extensive amounts of money on a building constructed in 1927, and is it time to look at another location for city hall?
Sekanick did not offer an answer. Instead, he deferred to council.
“We will give them the costs so they can make an informed decision,” he replied.
Several council members said when Sekanick was hired they expect him to recommend whether to repair city hall or relocate.