Thursday, August 28, 2008
PCB's and other HAZMAT issues
So it seems the massive oil tank that was unearthed this week has tested positive for PCBs. So now things get really complicated because VWW doesn't own the property, the City of Winooski does, and so we are all collaborating on how to proceed. You see, our second story requires a certain amount of support to be viable and with all these mysterious findings under the earth it is looking as if we may need to come up with a new foundation design. We'll see...
Monday, August 25, 2008
A mysterious cavern beneath the earth
Before the bank burned down on this site, there was a furniture store and it appears the oil tank belonged to them but it's still not clear how long it'll take to clean it all up. We are finding new things every day...today the construction crew discovered a deep cavernous space that extends to the adjoining office of the Community Center. We are working with the state to alleviate the problems and hope to resume actual construction soon. However this will delay our progress...
More Surprises!
They found a 22’ oil tank 12 feet down in the ground. Construction has ceased while we wait for the state to sign off on paying for its excavation....stay tuned.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Discoveries beneath the earth
So...just an update. Asbestos abated. Now that we're digging, we have found the ruins of the old furniture building that burned down on the site years ago. Seems that when the building imploded, the demolition crew just filled the hole with the debris and covered it with dirt.
I am hopeful that we will discover buried treasure amidst the blackened brick and the foundation that extends at least ten feet below the surface....
I am hopeful that we will discover buried treasure amidst the blackened brick and the foundation that extends at least ten feet below the surface....
Monday, August 11, 2008
VWW Builds a New Home
On a hot Saturday in July, a hearty crew of VWW staff and program graduates from 1996-2008 wielded sledgehammers and shovels to begin construction of its new office and program space in Winooski. We certainly didn’t think about building when we learned last October that our lease in Essex Junction would end in April and we would need to find new space. But we did think our new home should root us in a community where we are needed and provide easy access by public transportation. We also wanted to be closer to colleagues with whom we could collaborate and who could refer clients. And we wanted to have enough space to accommodate growth over time – or be able to sublet if we needed to in leaner years.
After an exhaustive search of properties in Chittenden County, VWW’s Board voted this spring to locate its offices in the O’Brien Community Center in Winooski. Working with J.A. Morrissey Construction, VWW will renovate and expand a former bank office at one end of the Center.
The benefits of locating in Winooski are many:
Community Center rent is set below market rate at $9 per square foot. Because we will pay rent only on the original square footage as long as it takes to amortize construction costs, VWW will save $700,000 in general operating expenses over three decades.
For the first time in our history, VWW will be able to offer on-site classroom instruction and house a career resource center that supports women in researching and pursuing job searches.
The close proximity of nonprofits supporting children and youth, including the YMCA, Refugee Resettlement, the Winooski Family Center, and the Winooski Boys & Girls Club and Teen Center, increases the childcare options available to VWW trainees and our chances of engaging family members in other VWW programs.
Because we are renovating the space specifically for VWW use, we will incorporate energy-efficient and green-build features and recycled building materials, an up front investment that will significantly reduce energy and heating bills later, critical at this time of escalating fuel costs.
Perhaps most significantly, the building will be constructed in part by the hands of graduates of our programs through scheduled opportunities for community service and participation.
We expect to open our doors by Thanksgiving. Let us know if you can help in the months ahead–by painting, pulling wire, or by providing financial support–contact Kate Dodge at kdodge@vtworksforwomen.org.
After an exhaustive search of properties in Chittenden County, VWW’s Board voted this spring to locate its offices in the O’Brien Community Center in Winooski. Working with J.A. Morrissey Construction, VWW will renovate and expand a former bank office at one end of the Center.
The benefits of locating in Winooski are many:
Community Center rent is set below market rate at $9 per square foot. Because we will pay rent only on the original square footage as long as it takes to amortize construction costs, VWW will save $700,000 in general operating expenses over three decades.
For the first time in our history, VWW will be able to offer on-site classroom instruction and house a career resource center that supports women in researching and pursuing job searches.
The close proximity of nonprofits supporting children and youth, including the YMCA, Refugee Resettlement, the Winooski Family Center, and the Winooski Boys & Girls Club and Teen Center, increases the childcare options available to VWW trainees and our chances of engaging family members in other VWW programs.
Because we are renovating the space specifically for VWW use, we will incorporate energy-efficient and green-build features and recycled building materials, an up front investment that will significantly reduce energy and heating bills later, critical at this time of escalating fuel costs.
Perhaps most significantly, the building will be constructed in part by the hands of graduates of our programs through scheduled opportunities for community service and participation.
We expect to open our doors by Thanksgiving. Let us know if you can help in the months ahead–by painting, pulling wire, or by providing financial support–contact Kate Dodge at kdodge@vtworksforwomen.org.
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