You may remember that last winter Ken announced that we had purchased the property just west of our Riverside Park branch. That land is home to two buildings previously used for manufacturing steel products and as a wool mill. More recently, they were the home of Pieter Godfrey’s materials reclamation business, specializing in brick, stone and wood. Pieter passed away unexpectedly in 2011 and eventually the active use of the property ended. In late 2013 we acquired the property which we now refer to as the Riverland. The warehouse that’s coming down is located on the west end of the property, appears on Sanborn Fire Insurance maps as early as 1894 and is larger than a football field.

I’ve managed multiple building projects over the years, but this is the first time I’ve overseen the taking down of one. I believe it is the appropriate thing to do, but it has been a very difficult decision. You see, I have many memories of lively conversations with Pieter in that building as we collaborated on several projects. I marveled at the way he incorporated the unique wood and artifacts from his work into his living area. He was extremely proud to show off that incredible space.

So why take down the building?

Since Pieter’s death, structural issues have multiplied, causing the warehouse to become unsound. Water damage due to cracked roof panels has destroyed much of what was inside. It is sad to see the current state of this space Pieter was so proud of. The building is too dangerous to keep and too expensive to restore.

However, just as Pieter gave new purpose to old building materials, so too will we. We will salvage Cream City brick, doors, windows, cabinets, railing, lighting and more. Concrete will be crushed for reuse and steel will be recycled. All of this will be documented to verify our contractor is

meeting our recycling goals. And in the spring the area will be planted with native seeds.

We don’t know what the future will hold for this land. It could become additional green space and/or a new structure could be built. But we knew that acquiring the property was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the community to shape what the future could be, in a way that fits with the surrounding green space. A planning effort will need to occur,

and it could take years for these changes to be seen. It will take resources we don’t yet have.

During construction, access along the driveway to the river will be blocked, but will re-open in the spring. You can still access the river and paths in the Arboretum through the stone arch or Riverside Park. Also, know that other structures, including the east warehouse, will remain and will be a part of the next chapter in the story of this land.