Small Town News

County gives grant to repair Arc building

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Historic buildings that served as headquarters for mining operations in the Verde Valley will receive a much-needed face lift thanks to more than $380,000 in grant money unanimously approved by Yavapai County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 1.

The four bqildings, owned by YES the Arc, a nonprofit school for developmentally disabled children and adults, are listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, according to Melanie Young, the YES the Arc's executive assistant.

Located in the 400 block of South Willard Street, the complex of red brick buildings once housed administrative offices and a hospital for Phelps Dodge miners, Young said.

The Northern Arizona Council of Governments contracted with the county to administer Community Development Block Grants for the 2010-11 fiscal year. NACOG received bids in October to repair the brick walls and perform roof repairs on the buildings.

Since the school moyed into the buildings about four years ago, many remodels and upgrades have been completed according to historic preservation techniques, Young said.

Though not required to do so, Young said the school is serious about preserving the historic character of the structures. Last year, the school replaced windows on the north side of the building by creating exact replicas of the existing windows using the same materials used in the originals.

The school also installed a new roof but discovered leaks where the roof and the bricks meet. The problem is the brick work, Young said.

At some point, previous owners performed tuck-point work on the building, but used a sand-blasting technique that actually did serious damage to the walls.

The sand, treatment blasted away inches of mortar that secured the bricks in place, making the wall less secure and changing its original color.

"As you can see, there's plenty of room for friends, the bats, to get in," Young said.

The gaps also allow moisture and are probably doing damage to the walls behind the brick, walls which are more than 1 - foot thick in some places.

"The biggest thing for us is we want to make sure the integrity of the building is secured," she said. "This grant is going to allow us be able to restore it back to its original condition."

Unfortunately, the sand blasting permanently changed the color of bricks in some sections. The original color cannot be restored, Young said.

Greg Ruland can be reached at 634-8551 or e-mail gruland@larsonnewspapers.com

"The biggest thing for us is we want to make sure the integrity of the uilding is secured."

Melanie Young

YES the Arc's executive assistant



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