Merrimack Valley

Fire-ravaged building is a collapse danger

Former Merrimac Paper Co. may be razed soon

By Jim Patten
jpatten@eagletribune.com
Published: November 10, 2009

LAWRENCE — Ravaged by a three-alarm fire Friday night, the former Merrimac Paper Co. building on South Canal Street may be razed within weeks, said Myles Burke, the city's commissioner of inspectional services.

Local engineer Stephen Stapinski and Maine-based developer King Weinstein are partners in the building and their redevelopment plan called for the structure to be taken down before the fire, Burke said.

Burke said the city's Board of Survey, consisting of the fire chief, the city engineer, and a disinterested party with no connection to the city, had met and reviewed the status of the building and have determined it should come down.

He said the city has cleared the way for Stapinski to apply for an emergency demolition permit, and expects the building to be taken down and the site cleaned up within weeks.

Meanwhile, fire officials are keeping a wary eye on the three-story brick building.

Fire Chief Peter Takvorian said yesterday the collapse of the roof during the fire has left two of the outer walls unsupported and in danger of collapsing.

The collapsed roof also is hindering the investigation into the cause of the fire, he said.

"Some debris may have to be removed before the investigators can get in," Takvorian said. "Specifically the roof, which is on top of the area they want to take a look at."

Also complicating the investigation is the fact that the structure has three stories that are below ground, Takvorian said.

Some of the structure below ground may be sluiceways that were used to divert water from the canal to power industrial equipment many years ago, Takvorian said.

He said the utilities to the building, gas and electric, had been shut down before the fire.

Despite that, firefighters arriving Friday night received reports that homeless people were making their homes inside the building.

"We heard up to eight people inhabited that building," Takvorian said. "By Saturday afternoon seven of the eight were accounted for. We didn't know about the eighth person until late Saturday afternoon or early evening when he was accounted for. That was a relief."