Senior center gets FEMA grant to rid basement of mold

December 8, 2006

By DANA C. SILANO Evening Times Staff Writer (Thurs., Dec. 7)

Published: Thursday, December 7, 2006 10:44 AM CST

Little Falls Evening Times - Little Falls,NY

LITTLE FALLS — The Little Falls Senior/Community Center at 524 E.

Main St. has been closed since September when the Little Falls Urban

Renewal Agency was informed of illness-causing mold that was the

result of June's flooding.

" We were aware of some slight water damage through the doors, but

didn't know the basement had been flooded as well, " said

Cool, programs coordinator for Urban Renewal. " Once we were made

aware of the mold issues, we had to close the doors and get it

checked out. "

Cool said that the agency had a hygienist go to the senior center to

take air tests and samples of mold spores.

" Once that had been done, we put in a bid for mold remediation, and

currently, a remediator company is in the facility removing the

mold. Some shelving had to be replaced, amongst the repairs, " she

said. " Once the hygienist comes back and gives us the okay and says

the facility is free of mold, the doors can be reopened. "

Cool said the senior center should be up and running again within

the next two weeks, shortly before Christmas.

She said no one should be worried about the finances used for the

mold removal.

" We filed a FEMA claim, " she said, " so it will be part of the city's

FEMA claim, and no tax dollars will have to be used for this

project. "

The damage done from the mold was under $15,000, and the Federal

Emergency Management Agency is reimbursing the city for the claim

because the center is a municipally-owned building.

In fact, Cool said, the project is part of the 2002 Center City

Revitalization I grant that was awarded by the Governor's Office of

Small Cities.

" The center should be fully-functional by the end of the month, "

Cool said.

The agency asks that Little Falls residents be patient and stressed

that it is working as quickly as possible to fix the problem.

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