Reality Check

After reading the PC USA article on the SJ Christmas Joy Offering I think it is time for a reality check, or maybe just simple mathematics.

But first a few things to think about

1. How much did SJ owe prior to closing the school?
2. How much debt has been paid down by selling land?
3. How much is it costing to maintain the school even in a mothballed status?
4. How much money is being generated by rents? Is SJ breaking even on these rents?
5. What is the debt service on the loans?

I think no matter how you do the above math it is simple to see that SJ continues to go in the hole. There is not enough land and it is not selling quick enough to ever dig out of the hole that is getting deeper.

My advice is to read quotes from the Former President of the board and School with a grain of salt.

Now I know the next bit is very long, but if you want to read why it is going to cost $50 plus million to get the buildings back up and running feel free to read below. Or, just skip to which every building you think would be needed to reopen the school.

This was quickly written and I know there are spelling and typo mistakes. Sorry!

Known Problems with the Main SJ Campus Buildings as of July 2007

This report is being prepared by Marcel LaPerriere who was the head of the SJC Maintenance Department for the last 4 years of the schools operation. This report is primarily being prepared for the SJ Task Force who is doing what they can to help insure something good comes from the former SJ College. It is not being prepared with malice but it is being prepared in hopes that people will realize the enormity of task at hand to rebuild the school.

This report will be broken down into these categories; Foundation, Structure, Roof, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing for each of the main buildings on the main campus of the former Sheldon Jackson College.

General Notes

All of the buildings on the main campus of the former SJC Campus have many problems. All the way from asbestos and other contaminates to major rot as wall as mechanical and electrical problems.

Even though much work was done to remediate contaminated soils on the campus during the underground infrastructure work of 2003 to 2004 there are still many “Hot Spots” of contaminated soils located within the main campus area. It can safely be said that any excavating of soils near any of the historic buildings will have a high probability of unearthing oil contaminated soil.

It should also be noted that this report is only addressing known problems. There are undoubtedly many unknown problems. The report also does not take into account that any upgrade of the historic buildings would more than likely require that major structural work be done to bring the 100 year old buildings up to today’s seismic requirements. Of course the buildings do not meet today’s Fire and Life Safety Standards and these would have to be addressed too. Any restoration of the buildings would require that modern fire alarms and sprinklers be added.

Since the main historic buildings of the quad have not had heat within them since the school closed it can be assumed that the condition of the buildings has declined over the last 2 years. It can be very safely assumed that the plumbing within the buildings sustained freeze damage over the last 2 winters.

Armstrong

Foundation: No known Problems.

Structure: Minor rot and needed painting. Windows needed caulked.

Roof: In very poor shape with minor leaking. It needs replaced. This roof is also very susceptible to ice dams and ice buildup. It is assumed that there needs to be additional insulation added to the roof.

Electrical: Most of the lighting fixtures need replaced. The breaker box in located in the 1st floor boiler room which makes it inconvenient for people who occupy the 2nd floor offices.

Mechanical and Plumbing: The boiler is very problematic and there are problems with the heating zones working properly. The main water shut off valve located outside the building has a broken valve stem and will not shut off.

Stevenson Hall ( Historic Building)

Foundation: There has been a lot of settling over the years which makes the floor very uneven. There are a few minor crakes in the foundation. The crawlspace is loaded with asbestos which must be cleaned up before any work can commence in this location.

Structure: There is rot in many walls. The exterior of the building was mostly painted in 2005. Most of the windows do not operate very well and many have broken frames. The building for the most part is not insulated and all the windows are single pain. The front steps need replaced as they are in poor shape and do not meet code.

Roof: Is in very poor shape. In the 70’s plywood was shot down over the cedar shingles, and then composition shingles were attached. The shingles have now reached the end of their life and water is leaking through to both the plywood and the cedar shingles.

Electrical: Is in very poor shape and is drastically overloaded and undersized. Just prior to the school closing we were upgrading the interior wiring and were waiting for a new electric service to be installed.

Mechanical and Plumbing: Shortly after the school was closed the steam heat was disconnected from all the quad buildings. There is no heat in the building which has more than likely added to the decline of the structure. Much of the plumbing is in very poor shape, both the fresh water and waste water lines. Since the building got domestic hot water from a steam heat exchanger located in North Pacific Hall there is no hot water in the building.

North Pacific Hall ( Historic Building)

Foundation: Of all the quad buildings the foundation in North Pacific might be in the best shape. Like the other quad buildings the crawlspace is loaded with asbestos and it must be cleanup before any work can be done in that location.

Structure: There is rot in many walls. The front of the building is extremely rotted with many of the shingles falling off the walls. The sub sheeting is shiplap plans and many of them are rotted. It can be assumed that the framing is also rotted. The front steps need replaced as they are in poor shape and do not meet code. A new exterior fire escape was added to the east end of the building in 2006. The west 2nd floor fire escape was torn off and was in the process of being built when the school closed. All the windows are in poor shape, many have extremely rotted frames.

Roof: Is in very poor shape. In the 70’s plywood was shot down over the cedar shingles, and then composition shingles were attached. The shingles have now reached the end of their life and water is leaking through to both the plywood and the cedar shingles.

Electrical: Is in very poor shape and is drastically overloaded and undersized.

Mechanical and Plumbing: Shortly after the school was closed the steam heat was disconnected from all the quad buildings. There is no heat in the building which has more than likely added to the decline of the structure. Much of the plumbing is in very poor shape, both the fresh water and waste water lines. Since the building got domestic hot water from a steam heat exchanger located in exterior basement North Pacific Hall there is no hot water in the building. The restrooms are in very poor shape with leaking plumbing in the walls and the upstairs showers leak.

Ceramics Building ( Historic Building)

It is assumed this is the oldest building on campus. With the exception of no heat within the building this structure is more than likely in the best condition of all the historic buildings. Of course there are deficiencies in wiring, and plumbing. There is also more than likely some rot within the walls. New shingles were added to the building within the last 10 years.

Allen Auditorium ( Historic Building)

Much work was done to restore Allen over the years, but much work is still remaining. As of 2007 the estimate on the work that was still required ranged from 1.5 to 3 million. It can be assumed that these numbers are going up. The lack of maintenance during construction is also causing the building’s condition to decline. Moss and even small trees are growing on the roof. Just prior to the closer of the school rope anchor points were added to the cupola so that this moss and trees could be removed. Unfortunately the school closed and this work was never done.

Whitmore Hall ( Historic Building)

Foundation: The foundation is cracked in the northeast corner. A temporary patch was placed on the wall in 2004. Again there is asbestos in this crawlspace and it must be cleaned up before work can be done in this area.

Structure: There is rot in many walls. The front of the building is rotted with many of the shingles falling off the walls. The sub sheeting is shiplap planks and many of them are rotted. It can be assumed that the framing is also rotted. New exterior fire escapes were added to the building in 2006. The rear wall of the building was rebuilt in 2004 and the building was mostly painted. The annex apartment area of the building is in very poor shape. There is extensive rot in the walls and roof of the apartment. All the windows are in poor shape, many have extremely rotted frames.

Roof: Is in very poor shape. In the 70’s plywood was shot down over the cedar shingles, and then composition shingles were attached. The shingles have now reached the end of their life and water is leaking through to both the plywood and the cedar shingles. Of all the roofs in the quad this one is in the worst condition. Many shingles have blown off and have been patched. The plywood in one location is too rotted to hold nails. Water is leaking into the attic.

Electrical: Is in very poor shape and is drastically overloaded and undersized through much of the building.

Mechanical and Plumbing: Shortly after the school was closed the steam heat was disconnected from all the quad buildings. There is no heat in the building which has more than likely added to the decline of the structure. Much of the plumbing is in very poor shape, both the fresh water and waste water lines. Since the building’s domestic hot water came from a steam heat exchanger located in basement of the Laundry Building there is no hot water in the building. The restrooms are in very poor shape with leaking plumbing in the walls and the upstairs showers leak.

Frasher Hall ( Historic Building)

Foundation: The foundation is cracked in a few places and settling has caused some problems. Again there is asbestos in this crawlspace and it must be cleaned up before work can be done in this area.

Structure: There is rot in many walls. The Back of the building is rotted with many of the shingles falling off the walls. The sub sheeting is shiplap planks and many of them are rotted. It can be assumed that some of the framing is also rotted. The fire escape is in very poor shape and the City Building Department had ordered that it be replaced or the building would be condemned. All the windows are in poor shape, many have extremely rotted frames. Before the school closed this was the next building on the list to get painted.

Roof: Is in very poor shape. In the 70’s plywood was shot down over the cedar shingles, and then composition shingles were attached. The shingles have now reached the end of their life and water is leaking through to both the plywood and the cedar shingles. Water is leaking into the attic.

Electrical: Is in very poor shape and is drastically overloaded and undersized through all of the building. The wiring within this building is more the likely in the worst condition of all the historic quad buildings.

Mechanical and Plumbing: Shortly after the school was closed the steam heat was disconnected from all the quad buildings. There is no heat in the building which has more than likely added to the decline of the structure. Much of the plumbing is in very poor shape, both the fresh water and waste water lines. Since the building got domestic hot water from a steam heat exchanger located in basement of the Laundry Building there is no hot water in the building. The restrooms are in very poor shape.


Laundry Building ( Historic Building)

Foundation: Of the quad building this building’s foundation is in the best condition. There are no known major problems.

Structure: In 2006 a professional engineer did an assessment of the structural integrity of the building. There were no major problems noted with exception of major rot in the roof structure. Under orders from the City Building Department the stack was analyzed for structural integrity and it was found to be in relatively good condition. It is assumed the stack would survive a moderate earthquake. A wood and shingle cap was installed to the stack to keep water from migrating into the building and into the stack. The rot within the walls of the Laundry Building is not as bad as one would expect for a 100 year old building, but there are pockets of rot. Of course all the windows are in poor shape.

Roof: The roof is in poor shape. In 2006 temporary repairs were made to the roof framing structure and temporary roll roofing was installed to keep out the major leaking. The roof over the bunker fuel storage area was replaced and should be in fairly good condition for some years.

Electrical: Is in very poor shape and is drastically overloaded and undersized through all of the building. Much of the wiring within this building is potentially some of the oldest wring on the campus.

Mechanical and Plumbing: The basement of this building was the original central heat boiler room for the campus. In later years it was used as the main distribution center for the steam heat. In the early 2000’s the asbestos was mostly removed from this area, however there is still some asbestos that was missed during the cleanup. The majority of the plumbing within this building is in poor shape. Some of the old associated boiler equipment is contaminated with heavy oil and this would need to be cleanup before any major work could commence within this area.

Contamination: Adjacent to the main part of the building is the old bulk fuel storage area which started its life as a coal storage bunker. When the boilers were converted from coal to steam the concrete bunker was used as a storage tank for bunker oil. During the conversion from coal to oil no leak mitigation measures were taken so for well over 50 years oil has been leaching from this tank. The tank still contains in access of 1000 gallons of heavy waste oil. In 2006 several test pits were dug around the perimeter of this old tank and as expected the soils were very badly. In one location the backhoe was digging up more oil than dirt. There is also an old buried fuel oil tank located on the east side of the Laundry Building. This tank has an undetermined amount of fuel oil within. When tested in 2006 the tank was not leaking, but it was heavily rusted and it can be assumed the tank will start leaking in not too many years.
During the replacement of the roof over the bulk storage tank there was a floor drain noted that is just outside the oil tank and between the main boiler room. It is assumed that this floor drain is hooked into the city waste water system and if the tank was over to overflow due to water intrusion or leak the oil that is located within the old tank would drain into the city waste water system. Old city records indicate that a large amount of oil once entered the city system and it was assumed that the oil came from SJ. I think it is likely that this floor drain was the culprit. When the school closed dye tracing of this drain was on the agenda, but was never done.

Stratton Library

Foundation: No known problems with the exception that the flume runs under the building. This has caused problems in the past and will more than likely cause problems again in the future.

Structure: The walls and roof of this building are in bad need of attention. Most of the nails that hold the siding on have worked loose over the years. All the siding should all be refastened. During the summer of 2007 this was on the agenda as was painting of the building, but when the school closed this work did not get done. Even to the untrained eye it is obvious that there is excessive moisture within the walls.

Roof: The roof has been leaking for several years. There has been several patches done to mitigate this leakage, but the roof is still leaking in some areas. The shingles are in very poor condition and should be replaced before the sheeting is rotted.

Electrical: Many of the florescent lights have bad ballasts, other than that most of the wiring is in good condition.

Mechanical and Plumbing: In 2005 new boilers were installed. These boilers are in good shape, but much or the associated equipment is not. In 2006 and 2007 new heat controls were added to the 2nd floor. When the school closed we were in the process of replacing the heating controls on the 1st floor. None of these controls were working so there is no heat control on the lower floor.

Rasmuson Center

Foundation: When Rasmuson was renovated in the early 2000’s the front foundation was not stabilized. A new footer and stem wall were pour right on unstable soils. This is causing the building to settle massively. The building is settling so severely that in my opinion structural failure is only a matter of time. This settling has caused the floors to buckle and sub floor fasteners to pop loose, doors to not work properly and at least one window to break. In time if this problem is not addressed more damage to floors, walls and windows can be expected. More serious problems can also be expected including the failure of roof trusses.

(I took a walk around the campus on Sunday the 3dr of May 3, 2009 and note that the foundations under the front pillars of the building continue to move further out of plumb. I would make an educated guess that the lower water level in the flume is causing this settling problem to speed up since the water table is lower and this is causing additional subsiding under Rasmuson and Yaw.)

Structure: Other than the problems being caused by the excessive settling of the building the rest of the structure is in good condition.

Roof: There are no known problems with the roof. However if the foundation is not fixed the roof will fail.

Electrical: The wiring is in good condition with the exception of much of the old wiring was left in place when the renovation work was done. This makes tracing wired more difficult since it is not always easy to tell which wires are live and which wires are not.

Mechanical and Plumbing: In 2005 new boilers were added and the building was taken off the central steam heat. This saved the school untold dollars. However, during the renovation of the building a much larger HVAC system was installed than necessary. The HVAC system was also very poorly designed and because of this poor design it is impossible to properly heat the building when the temperatures get much below freezing. The oversized HVAC system also is extremely inefficient and very wasteful. (A design to make this system work properly was done by me and a local heating contractor, but funds were never allocated to fix this system.)

Yaw Building

Foundation: The underground infrastructure work that was done on campus caused some unintended problems by changing the water table and underground sheet flow of water. This is causing the ground under the foundation of Yaw to subside. The subsidence has caused the front stairs to move away from the building. It has also caused the building’s foundation to start failing. Wood pilings under the building that were once totally submerged in mud are now exposed and are quickly rotting and loosing lateral support. If the foundation is not repaired soon the foundation of Yaw Building will totally fail. (The lower level of the flume is surely causing this problem to speed up.)

Structure: During the renovation of the building in the early 2000’s no work was done on exterior walls. The same steam leaks that rotted out the floor also rotted out many of the walls. There are extensive pockets of rot in all the exterior walls.

Roof: The roof was replaced by volunteers in the early 2000’s. Unfortunately the volunteers do not install the shingles properly and this has caused some minor leaking. Proper roof maintenance and inspections will mitigate these leaks and the roof should be good for several more years.

Electrical: The electrical wiring in Yaw is a disaster and is a fire waiting to happen. During the renovation the electrical contractor did substandard work, much of it not to code. The wiring is a mixture of old and new wiring, with miles of abandoned wiring left hanging and in conduits. Some conduits and junction boxes have both dead and live wires within the same box. Many of these junction boxes are extremely overloaded and this has caused arching of wire splices to the metal box. Many of the older wire splices are just taped and this tape is old and rotting. One more than one occasion there the main feed breaker has trip, which indicates to me that there is a major problem within the wiring system.

Mechanical and Plumbing: Like all the buildings within the quad area Yaw Building lost heat when the steam line was cut near Hames shortly after the school closed. So there is no way to heat the building. All the other plumbing within the building is shot.

David Sweetland Hall

Foundation: There has been some settling and this has caused problems with some of the interior doors. Other than this minor settling there are no known problems with the foundation with the exception of just over the basement area of the building. In 2004 posts were added in the basement area to mitigate some of the worst settling. These posts were just placed on the floor of the basement and not properly placed on a footer.

Structure: In 2004 major rot was found in the exterior wall and floor of the West 100 shower room. Repairs were made and inspection of the other shower rooms found that all 8 shower rooms had some to extensive rot. As of 2007 the rot in the South 100 restroom had extended all the way through the wall to the point that the exterior red cedar siding was totally rotted in a very large area. The floor joist under the South 100 restroom also showed ever expanding rot. Poor drainage planes from the roof have also cause wall rot in several locations around the building. The dishwashing station in the kitchen leaked hot water into the rear wall of the kitchen for years and that wall has extensive rot and insect infiltration problems. In 2005 we got a bid from a local contractor to repair that wall. The bid was $25,000.00. No funds were ever allocated so it can be assumed the rot and insect problems have grown. All the janitor closets on all floors have leaked water into the walls and floors for years. There is extensive rot associated with all of these leaks.

Most all the windows in DSH are shot. Some have extensive rot, and most do not open properly. Some of the windows have allowed water into the walls and rot should be expected.

Roof: The roof is shot and has leaked in places for many years. The roof over the South Wing has been patched many times, but continues to leak.

Electrical: There are no known major problems with the electrical in DSH.

Mechanical and Plumbing: In 2005 DSH was taken off the steam system and the old boilers from the Stratton Library were installed in DSH New controls and an updated domestic hot water system was added to DSH at this time. These boilers and modern controls have saved tons of money since installed. Most of the HVAC system is in need of upgrading and or replacement. Some of the units no longer work.

During the construction of DSH the thinner wall M grade copper tubing was used. M grade copper has an expected life of 20 to 30 years. This lower grade thinner copper is now springing leaks throughout the whole building. In my 4 years at SJ, I personally replaced hundreds of feet of failed copper plumbing and many fittings. Unfortunately most of this failing plumbing is behind walls and in hard to reach areas. Because of this to fix or replace the plumbing walls will have to be torn into. In at least two locations rubber patches have been hose clamped to pipes to slow down the leaks. Also unfortunately much of this failing copper pipe is large pipe in the 2 to 3 inch diameter range.

Kellogg Hall

Foundation: The foundation has failed in one location on the back wall. Because of this there is major settling on one wall.

Structure: The walls of Kellogg are mostly sound. However, the old Classic Pan Abode construction would no longer come close to meeting energy requirements in today world. In the same location that the foundation has failed there is some rot that should be fixed. Most of the windows are old single glazed windows.

Roof: This is another roof that was put on by volunteers without proper supervision. Because of this the roof has leaked in several locations. The roof is also subject to ice damming and this too has caused leaking into the building.

Electrical: All the main feed lines into the sub panels are aluminum. An inspection in 2004 or 05 showed extensive corrosion. All of this corrosion as cleaned, but no follow up inspections have been made. Because the corrosion was so sever it can be assumed that some of this corrosion has come back.

Mechanical and Plumbing: When DSH was converted from central steam to it own heating system Kellogg was added to the DSH system. A new utilidor was dug between the two buildings and Kellogg now gets both heat and domestic hot water from the boilers that are located within the basement of DSH. With few exceptions this updated system has worked well. Much of the interior domestic plumbing in Kellogg is old and it can be assumed that much of it will need replaced in the next few years.

Yaw Chapel

There is some rot within the Yaw Chapel and the roof is in very poor shape. The building is prone to frozen pipes and this problem should be addressed.

Sage

I’m skipping Sage. At this time Dan Goodness would be much more qualified to tell you about the condition of the building than I would be. I can say that Sage has a very long history of a leaking roof. Also a new duel oil fired and electric boiler was added to Sage in 2006. Funding for a new electric service was never allocated so the electric boiler was never used.

Hames

A professional team has been hired to do a complete assessment of the building. Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Systems. As I recall this assessment will be available for the public sometime late summer or early fall 2009.