The Armory is back on the front burner with Washington College’s application for a permit from the Historic District Commission to have the Chestertown Armory demolished.
Plans to demolish the armory have been a point of contention between those who feel the 1930s structure can be remediated and preserved and the College who has evaluated it as cost prohibitive.
Two environmental surveys detected the presence of asbestos, lead paint and toxic mold. Interpretations of the surveys will be a focus of the upcoming meetings with the CHD.
The original 2022 demolition permit application was rescinded due to a procedural error.
The work description for the permit request reads:
“Washington College reluctantly seeks a demolition permit for the Chestertown Armory. This request is based on the environmental studies that show lead and asbestos contamination and more significantly, a high level of mold contamination. Remediation will be extraordinarily expensive and, per the attached report, has no assurance of success. The College has an investor group interested in a redevelopment project that would benefit the entire community, but no-one will invest in a project that may ultimately result in a structure that could be unusable. Despite the best efforts of multiple groups for at least 14 years, no alternative plans or investors that can save this structure have emerged. Washington College therefore requests a demolition permit on the grounds of economic hardship and for the greater public good, per the Town of Chestertown Historic District Guidelines. In Hearing 1, the college will stipulate to significance and provide details on the contamination. Full documentation of the building and other materials will be provided before Hearing 2.”
For more background, see the Spy’s November, 2022 article here.
To read the full application, go here.
Holly Geddes says
Finally !
Gren Whitman says
Who or what entities wish to keep the armory?
What reasons are given to keep the armory?
If the armory is kept, what can it be used for?
Richard Keaveney says
Everyone who cares should review the very thorough and informative full application link within this article. There is even a rendering of what a new hotel can look like …. including a cool looking white car too! Well thought out. Time for our support
Joe Diamond says
The armory was built for a pragmatic, was & defense reason that no longer exists. Another structure…..with another purpose should replace it. In earlier times it could have been demolished on site and used as shoreline protection. I am sure the current thinking is to put the whole structure in little bags and transport it somewhere else……The required politically correct procedures will be followed regardless of cost,,,,,but let this cube go!
Paula Reeder says
The Armory is an unsightly, deteriorating, unsafe structure that has long outlived its usefulness and worth to the community and the College. It’s time to let it go and replace it with a new value-added ediface that will benefit both the College and Chestertown and capitalize on and complement its scenic Chester River waterfront site.
margaret patterson says
I dont see any support to turn this building into a homeless shelter for our community. A Homeless shelter with other community services is what we need, not more exclusive stores or other entities that cater to the rich that most in this community cannot afford.
william b foxworth III says
Waterfront homeless shelter, novel idea.
David A Turner says
We don’t need a fulltime homeless shelter. If we build it they WILL come. Get this idea off the table.
Gerry levin says
Just another self promoting decision by a college who makes bad decisions.
Thom Kocubinski says
At this juncture, an important question for Chestertown and the community should be ‘why can’t we have our cake and eat it too?’ Specifically, why can’t we have a boutique hotel that includes the armory, in whole or part, in a thoughtful architectural design? Do your own research and you will find many award-winning precedents across the country that have successfully fused new and historic structures. Washington College engaged an architectural firm in 2017 to do such a design study which I found commendable. However, this study was abandoned due to the presence of mold, while nothing in the College’s mold reports stated that mold could not be successfully remediated to meet industry and safety standards. My January 2023 Op-Ed included a detailed review of the mold issues and noted that the use of pressurized, dry ice pellets is a 99.9% effective, safe and sustainable method to kill and clean mold, even in masonry, due to its -110 deg temperature. To overcome this critical impasse on which the fate of the historic building lies, the HDC should retain an independent environmental consultant to issue their findings and recommendations. The armory’s historic status certainly justifies such due diligence before any decision is made for irrevocable demolition; it is that important. In the event the findings support such an action, then focus can be shifted to incorporate a building feature into the design. For example, the front facade can be retained as a free-standing entry portal and would pose no more of an environmental concern than the existing building facades adjacent to the armory. We can have our cake and eat it to; it is not a matter of choosing one over the other.