Many Buildings With Asbestos Still Standing

Deteriorating Republic Steel building must have deed restrictions removed before it can be sold

Sep 15, 2009

The former Republic Steel building in Mineville, New York could be sold at auction if Essex County lawmakers can remove the deed restrictions that state it must be sold for public use. The building hasn’t been used for anything but records storage since the 1980s.

An engineering survey estimates that renovations would cost somewhere between $700,000 and $800,000 to complete, as it is in poor structural condition. The roof is leaking badly, and fixing the roof requires caution; it is made up of asbestos shingles. Asbestos is a dangerous mineral and a known carcinogen that was commonly used in roofing and other building materials for many decades.

It would cost about $80,000 to demolish the building, but the county would prefer to sell the building at auction and have it renovated, if the deed restrictions could be lifted. Aside from demolition or sale at auction, another option is to do a request for proposals (RFP) for salvage operations.