Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

The results of a recent inspection of the historic 1820 Courthouse and the adjacent Plymouth County Commissioner’s building in Plymouth, Massachusetts, has resulted in an estimate topping $600,000 for recommended and required renovations and repairs to meet environmental standards. According to a report in the Wicked Local Plymouth, the assessment was completed by Atlantic Environmental Technologies, Inc., of New Bedford, and includes plans for removal of asbestos, lead and three underground storage tanks.

According to the report, the estimate for”environmental restoration” of the Courthouse comes in at around $391,945, while restoration of the county commissioner’s building will total about $234,415. This cost is “greater than anticipated,” according to Plymouth Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Laura Schaefer.

The inspection followed an April town meeting in which representatives voted to purchase the historic downtown properties, with an estimated total budget of $1.4 million. The town representatives hoped to spend about $1 million to purchase the buildings, and $400,000 to preserve the Daniel Webster Courtroom in the main historic building. However, the renovation costs now far exceed that planned expense.

Town and county officials are currently in discussions with area historic preservation groups, which of course would prefer to see the buildings saved and made usable.

Neither building is currently usable due to environmental hazards, the Wicked Local reports. Scientists have determined that loose asbestos in the courthouse poses “an immediate health risk” to anyone entering the basement of that building, and that there is lead in almost every painted surface of both buildings.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to the development of malignant mesothelioma, which is a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and, more rarely, the abdomen and/or the heart. It also can cause asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs.

There are three underground storage tanks on the property as well, which must be dealt with. While none of the tanks is believed to be currently leaking, two are filled with oil and one with gasoline, which could pose a future environmental hazard to soil and groundwater, and they will need to be removed.

Both buildings are located in the Plymouth Historic District. Negotiations on the purchase of the buildings is ongoing but remains confidential.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 11:38 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.