New Bedford will pay $10 for this fixer-upper. But first the state is making needed repairs

Frank Mulligan, Standard-Times
·2 min read

NEW BEDFORD — From the outside, the imposing stone former National Guard Armory building at 989 Pleasant St. hardly shows its 119 years.

Declared surplus property by the state in 2003, the city is hoping this unusual fixer-upper can be returned to productive use.

That's why a deal has been forged for the state to turn the building over to city ownership for $10 once repair work to keep it viable has been completed. The purchase-and-sale agreement is penned and pending.

The state agreed to perform $3.3 million in repair work on the structure, mostly to the roof, as part of the deal. Once the structure is watertight again, the city can button it up and hold onto it for about $5,000 per year in maintenance while a suitable developer is sought.

Helping with new DEP regulations:New food waste limits have businesses scrambling. This Freetown facility is here to help.

Holly Huntoon, city interim public information officer, said the city will be able to request development proposals and consider what would be the best fit for the building's reuse. The neighborhood is largely residential.

Mayor Jon Mitchell stated in a letter supporting the deal to the city council in February, “I believe the combination of the $3.3 million state investment, a more favorable funding environment, and an evolving real estate market in the armory neighborhood may converge to give us our best chance since the building was decommissioned to get it back into productive use."

A worker climbs to the top of the iconic tower of the New Bedford Armory on Pleasant Street, as roof repairs have begun by the state before the historic building is sold to the city for $10.
A worker climbs to the top of the iconic tower of the New Bedford Armory on Pleasant Street, as roof repairs have begun by the state before the historic building is sold to the city for $10.

Work began in May but has recently become more visible as construction has progressed to the outside of the structure.

Craig E. Dunlop, resident construction engineer with the state Division of Capital Asset Management, said the repair work has actually totaled more than $4 million to date.

"The big thing is the roof," he said, "closing all the leaks."

Craig E. Dunlop, resident construction engineer with the state Division of Capital Asset Management, walks past the support structure his crew built inside the drill hall of the New Bedford Armory, to support the roof. The roof of the historic Pleasant Street property is being repaired by the state before it is sold to the city of New Bedford for $10.

He said there were some structural problem with flooring within the structure that needed shoring, and asbestos had to be removed before work could safely proceed to the roof repair.

It's currently estimated the work will be completed late this February or early March.

Workers needed:With staffing 'lower than in a normal year,' New Bedford looking for plow drivers

Dunlop said the stately structure, built in 1903 on a 1.3-acre lot, will still need TLC to bring it into the world of 2023. "The inside is going to have to be completely renovated, all new electrical, new water, new plumbing, fire safety, everything's going to have to be redone."

He added he hoped the city will be available to find a use for the building that's beneficial to the public.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Repairs proceed to put former New Bedford Armory back on the market