Old Village Hall, Main Fire House Require Asbestos Removal

The moving of the Old Village Hall to its new home in Irmisch Park will be delayed for awhile, according to village officials, after asbestos in the building was found.

The building dates back nearly 100 years, when asbestos was used heavily in the construction of buildings, and it must be removed before the village can move the building into Irmisch Park, said administrator Shawn Cullinane.

"The problem is the buildings are really old," Cullinane said. "The firehouse has been built, and rebuilt, several different times in the last 80 years."

While the movement of the Old Village Hall will not be a major undertaking, Cullinane said the bigger concern was the main fire house, which is scheduled to be taken down and rebuilt.

"When you demolish a building, you can't just let it fly into the air," Cullinane noted. "

The museum's removal of asbestos will probably start next Monday, Cullinane told Patch. The fire house, due its large size, would have a ten-day posting period to let the public know of the removal. Afterwards, the removal will begin and the ongoing project would move on.

Asbestos is a fire-resistant and insulating material that was used in construction during the early 1900's. It was later found to cause a slew of health maladies, including lung cancer and other organ problems.

The removal of the harmful material will cost over $88,500 for the fire department's main house and over $18,000 for the Old Village Hall.

The village had a contingency budget in place for the firehouse project in case of unforeseen costs such as this, which includes the moving of the Old Village Hall.