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88 Main
permit
granted
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM --- The 88 Main Street project is energized as a building permit was approved recently.
Facade demolition and shoring work has been done on the building, in the center of downtown Putnam, under a demolition/shoring permit.
Progress on the building, which is owned by Dexter Properties LLC, had been slowed after a disagreement about how the building permit fee would be covered. Bruce Dexter II said that in the bid documents for the rehabilitation of the building, Economic and d Community Development Director Delpha Very had said the town would waive the building permit fee. However, a town ordinance prohibits the town from waiving that fee.
Dexter was considering suing the town for not standing by Very's offer. Two weeks ago, town officials offered a settlement to Dexter, very close to the amount of the building permit fee. However the building permit still did not go through.
Selectmen met again last week and sweetened the deal a bit and the permit was granted this week.
The permit lists Rose Construction of Pomfret as the contractor. It calls for facade renovation improvement. The use is listed as commercial and retail.
Dexter Properties LLC purchased the building in October 2009. Dexter had said at that time he wants to put in a restaurant, retail space and, on the top two floors, a boutique hotel.
The cost of the work listed on the permit application is $328,000.
Rose Construction of Pomfret bid $359,000. The project will include removing the brick veneer and windows. As layers are removed, Very said, the structural soundness of any underlying layer will be checked and corrected/replaced if needed. All the trim will be brought back, using composite. The plans call for dark green vinyl-clad trim. In addition the roof will be replaced.
A state Urban Action grant of $400,000 will go toward the Rose Construction renovation costs. Some of that funding was already used for civil and structural engineering for the project. The grant money must be used in the next few months.