Rickety Warehouse: Asbestos abatement starts; crews hope to finish work by weekend

By this weekend, the dilapidated warehouse at the old VanDuzee Street barns complex should be no more.

Work on demolishing the remains of the partially collapsed building at 424 VanDuzee St. should be completed by then, code enforcement supervisor Shawn R. McWayne said. The asbestos removal — consisting mainly of getting rid of piping wrap — was to begin Tuesday, he said.

"Hopefully, by Saturday, the rest of it will be down," Mr. McWayne said.

The city condemned the building last week, fearing the deteriorating structure would collapse. It looked as if the walls were about to cave in, so the city used emergency powers to take control of the building, city officials said.

The city has hired Independent Commercial Contractors, Lorraine, to complete both the asbestos abatement and demolition at a cost of $27,000, he said. The city intends to demolish the structure down to its slab.

The building, a part of a larger complex that was once the state Department of Transportation barns, has been vacant for years. The deteriorating structure is owned by North Country Development of Jefferson County Inc., 120 Arcade St., which owes the city for back taxes. The city holds the tax certificate for the structure.

The 9.64-acre site is assessed at $86,700 for the land, or a total of $243,100 with the buildings.

More of the buildings might come down eventually, city officials said last week.

City Manager Mary M. Corriveau has said the site might make a good location for in-fill housing. With little property available within city limits, the city is looking for space for in-fill housing in city neighborhoods.

Working with Neighbors of Watertown Inc., city officials have been hoping to build as many as 18 houses on the old Ogilvie Foods plant site between North Pleasant Street and California Avenue, but that project appears to be in jeopardy mainly because of funding problems.