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Linden — After years of paying for engineering inspections that show the building needs millions of dollars in upgrades, doing minor infrastructure improvements but ultimately watching the lead paint on the historic Linden Mill building deteriorate and peel more and more every year, Linden city officials are discussing more creative avenues in order to make the necessary upgrades to the structure.
Consulting engineers Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc (HRC) recently finished an inspection and report on the Linden Mill building. It recommends the city do upgrades in two phases.
The first, which includes structural, environmental and accessibility elements, would cost a total of $1,127,200. The second phase, which includes structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental and accessibility elements, would cost an estimated $1,767,200.
During the Monday, Sept. 12 Linden City Council meeting, City Manager Ellen Glass said no matter the future use of the building, HRC recommended doing the phase one improvements.
“That’s something that has to be done,” she said. “At this point…we probably need to have some serious conversations in regards to the use and the future use.”
Glass said they could continue making minor improvements, but they’re not generating the type of revenue to help sustain the building. City staff have been searching for grants. However, the designated future use has been an issue. Glass said that they were encouraged to apply for a Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant, but one advisor told them the building likely wouldn’t hit certain checkmarks in regards to use.
“We need to get creative,” she said.
On Thursday, Aug. 25, the Linden Mill Building Advisory Committee officially recommended that the city pay for an underwater inspection of the building’s foundation, which was a recommendation in the HRC report. Glass said they will bring a formal motion during the next regular council meeting. She said the money donated from the Spirit of ’76 and the Historical Society is enough to cover the cost. The group donated more than $22,000 in June.
HRC visited the building May 18 to compare current conditions to what they observed five years ago. They conducted an infra-red camera survey of the buying exterior and lead paint evaluation. The report details their inspection work, the current status of the building and recommendations.
“It is HRC’s conclusion that the most critical needs to address at the building are the ones that get it stabilized and weathertight to prevent further deterioration. It is our recommendation to pursue these improvements as soon as possible to ensure the building does not get progressively worse in terms of overall condition and compromise the building’s integrity,” according to HRC’s report.
Since HRC’s last report in 2016, Linden has completed electrical and HVAC upgrades, but additional HVAC design and construction work would be necessary to properly ventilate the building.
The building does not have a pathway that is in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Once the city begins more significant projects, HRC notes that ADA improvements can be made. The report also found that certain cavities in the walls need to have insulation, the exterior wood siding is aging or rotted and needs to be replaced and that paint has peeled significantly which leaves the building unprotected.
“The longer the building remains unpainted and the damaged wood unreplaced, the more significant the repair and replacement efforts will be, and it can progressively affect the integrity of wall framing and interior systems,” according to the report. HCR suggested the city invest in stabilization upgrades such as foundation improvements, exterior facade repairs, retaining wall improvement and more.
The current Linden Mill building was constructed in 1871, after the first two were destroyed by fires. It was the first structure in Genesee County to be placed on the national register of historic places in 1972.
“It’s not that the Mill isn’t important, it’s just a very expensive project,” said Mayor Danielle Cusson. “We also have a lot of other expensive projects. Our roads. We’re taking things into consideration.”
Glass said they will facilitate more meetings with the Linden Mills Historical Society & Museum, the Linden Library and other stakeholders. Cusson suggested the location of the museum could change and that the library wants a larger space.
“One of my main concerns is this is the symbol of Linden and I could never see us selling it,” Cusson said. “How can you sell the symbol of your city?”
She said they could keep ownership and lease it out with restrictions. They’ve talked about fixing the building for years, she said, and it feels like they’re going in circles.
Glass that they’ve been talking with the Kincaid Building Group that designed the Dr. Wax building and that the Mill building could be a public/private type of structure. The Mill Advisory Committee is considering working with this company.
“It’s very hard when you’re responsible for trying to prioritize the future needs and things that need to happen to take the city to the next level,” Glass said.
Councilor Heather MacDermaid said it would be irresponsible to spend millions on the Mill building when other facilities, such as city hall and the Department of Public Works building, need upgrades. She said the police department’s jail cell is a “shackle on the floor” and that the DPW building has an outhouse.
“We need to be open minded to whatever can make it work,” she said.
One of the items residents were most concerned about in the master plan survey was the Mill building. Glass said residents want to see it be utilized and maintained.
Councilor Aaron Wiens mentioned a few old Mill buildings that had been turned into breweries or wedding venues.
“Admittedly, I’ve only been in Linden seven years so I don’t have the personal attachment to the mill in the same way and I can appreciate that as it being a symbol of the city. But it just seems like there’s a major disconnect there that if you want this building maintained and nice, because we hear a lot of complaints about it, but I don’t think that you can have those things remedied but not put a business in here or something along those lines,” he said. “If you want it to be a beautiful, thriving building, then something different has to be done.”
Linden City Council is planning to have a joint meeting with the Mill Advisory Committee in the coming weeks.
Current condition of the Linden Mill Building
“No changes or improvements were observed with the porch foundation and framing since 2016,” according to the report. “Visible deflection of the support members, noted in 2016 and 2022, is the likely cause of cracking in the concrete porch slab above.”
HRC recommended that these foundations be reconstructed with reinforced concrete and that the porch roof framing and support columns be assessed to determine if they are sufficient to carry and transfer loads to the foundation.
Porch drainage, concrete stairs and walkways
During the time of the visit, it was raining and water was observed to be leaking from the underside of the porch roof near the main library door, which indicated that the porch is not weathertight. The 2016 report recommended improvements be made to the downspout system to ensure that water is drained away from the building.
A concrete coating was applied to the porch stairs since HRC’s last visit. This will help extend the life of the concrete. The concrete walkways were also replaced.
Wood Stair/CMU Retaining Wall- Southwest
“The wood stairs and landing are in stable condition but are aged,” according to the report. “Improvements to the framing have been made since last inspection. The paint coating on the entire stair structure is worn and in many places, gone entirely, particularly on the treads. The CMU retaining wall remains in fair condition with settlement cracks that have not changed significantly from what was observed in 2016.”
The timber retaining walls are weathered throughout. In some locations, they have rotted significantly, according to the report.
Wood Stair/CMU Retaining Wall- Northeast
“In 2016, it was noted that the wood stairs leading down to the lower level of the Mill Building from the street level on the northeast corner were severely weathered. The landing had many missing or broken boards. The deterioration has continued,” according to the report. HRC recommended removing them entirely or they be reconstructed.
“HRC recommends a thorough inspection below the waterline by a specialty underwater contractor to confirm the integrity of the mortar, stones and concrete materials and the stability of the north wall as part of the entire system supporting the building,” according to the report.
HRC also did petrographic testing, which requires taking samples of the concrete and examining it on a microscopic level. This can provide them an estimate of the strength and life left of the concrete.
HRC concluded that the interior masonry walls were non-load bearing and were likely made to serve as a buffer between the fieldstone foundation and the finished spaces/uses for the lower level. More assessment would be necessary to confirm with certainty that these masonry walls do not support any loads before partial or full removal.
In 2016, HRC performed a laser scan in the lower level council chambers to document how far out of vertical plumb the timber columns were.
“Measurements were taken again on the May 18, 2022 visit with a digital level and found no notable change. It is HRC’s current opinion that the position out of vertical plumb of the columns is not having an effect on the stability of the building’s structure at this time,” the report stated. “However, HRC anticipates that the more in-depth inspection of the column foundations as described earlier in this memo will provide valuable information regarding why they are out of plumb and if it is prudent to correct their alignment.”
The report also found that certain cavities in the walls need to have insulation, the exterior wood siding is aging or rotted and needs to be replaced and that paint has peeled significantly which leaves the building unprotected.
“The longer the building remains unpainted and the damaged wood unreplaced, the more significant the repair and replacement efforts will be, and it can progressively affect the integrity of wall framing and interior systems,” according to the report.
For the full report, go to lindenmi.us.
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