News

Haskins' demolition to start on Oct. 27

Officials: Dust mitigation a top priority

By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff Writer
Published: October 17, 2008

ROCKPORT — If all goes according to plan, the Haskins Building will be dismantled from the inside out starting Monday, Oct. 27, as the Rockport Chamber Music Festival continues to clear the way for construction of its new 325-seat home.

The removal of hazardous materials inside the building, downtown at 37 Main St., began Oct. 1 and will be completed by Tuesday, festival Chairman Thomas Burger confirmed yesterday.

Festival officials, together with officials from Consigli Construction Co., met with Town Administrator Michael Racicot, Public Works Director Joseph Parisi and Field Coordinator George Robertson, police Chief Thomas McCarthy, fire Chief Russell Anderson and Planning Board member Mary Ruth Sole in the police station community room yesterday morning.

The "pre-construction meeting" was the first of a series of meetings required by the Planning Board's order of conditions when it approved the project. Officials discussed various concerns associated with dismantling the Haskins Building, including safety, logistic and traffic flow issues.

The next meeting with town officials is set for Wednesday, Oct. 29. Additionally, festival officials will meet with abutters next week to update them on the plans as well.

Burger said crews will take the building down from the inside, cutting holes in the floor and lowering each level into the basement in an effort to minimize dust — a concern raised by Racicot after neighbors complained of excessive dust as a result of renovations completed by the new owners of the former Carnegie Library building.

When construction crews eventually lift debris out of the basement and transfer it onto trucks, water supplied by a hose connected to a nearby fire hydrant will be used to keep the dust down, Burger said. Public works crews will install a meter on the hydrant and the festival will be charged for water use.

Building Inspector Paul Orlando also attended the meeting. He said yesterday the festival has not yet applied for any demolition or construction permits.

Orlando said the festival will be charged a flat demolition fee of $35 per story of the building for the Haskins permit.

Burger said the festival has a significant sum of money privately insured in a bank with which to pay for necessary construction permits.

The parcel will be cleared by Thanksgiving and work will resume in early 2009 with ledge removal, excavation of the foundation and superstructure. Work will again be suspended next summer to avoid any disruption during the town's tourist season.

The grand opening of the center in June 2010 will coincide with the launch of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival's 29th season — the festival is the core offering of the nonprofit organization, which has also adopted a new name — Rockport Music.

So far, more than $14 million has been raised and pledged for the project, mostly by Cape Ann individuals, charitable foundations and area businesses. The capital campaign has been greatly helped by a recent $750,000 challenge grant made by an anonymous donor that applies to new gifts received before Dec. 31.

The campaign goal is $20 million, a figure that not only reflects construction costs but purchase of the site, design costs, and endowments for program development and for Rockport Music's growing educational programs.

Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.

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