FAX cover sheet re exterior cleaning, Sep 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

none in the condition of this building. There are so many areas where contaminants could be lodged that it will be too difficult to clean the way the other buildings in the area were cleaned. Therefore, we are asking you to approach the Federal Emergency Management Agency to discuss special funding for this building.

Some of the additional concerns are the window air-conditioners, this building does not have central air-conditioning. The contaminants assuredly are in most of the inside and mechanical parts of the air-conditions, more than likely all the airconditioner will have to be discarded as it is next to impossible to clean out all the contaminants. Another problem presented by the window airconditioners are the meeting rails of the windows they are kept half open with window airconditioners in them, We have also found in our preliminary investigation that most of the more than four hundred windows do not function correctly and more than likely have contaminants that have blown under the windows at the window sills, also at the meeting rails. The windows are constructed with a wood frame and due to the difficulty in opening and closing and the age window washer hooks the windows have not been cleaned. The hydrocarbons coating the windows and glass assuredly is another place that contaminants have collected. The mere rinsing of these wood windows with deteriorated putty would again be impossible to affect a quality cleaning . We feel that the window frames have to be removed in most cases or made to function properly. In the process of making them function properly contamination procedures must be followed. Part of the owners plan would be to restore the windows make them all functional and install new weather stripping. These particular items, will have to be under the careful scrutiny of the New York Landmark Preservation Commission.

Another difficulty, would be the removal of contaminants from the many different patching system, there are small crevices which can not be seen with the naked eye. The use of a field microscope will be necessary to examine this areas after contaminants have been removed. Another problem with the contaminants are the pigeon droppings, there are a large number of pigeons that roost on this property, the pigeon droppings formed a glue type substance, that has glued the contaminants to the many water tables and ornamentation of this building . Pigeon droppings are not easily removed by soap and water they must be scrubbed to clean. There are many unanswered question and too many to enumerate at this time.

The owners have indicated they would like to repair and restore the facade and repaint it, but the additional cost inflicted by the WTC would make this out of the question for the owners financial resources. The owners realized that they would have to contribute to the cost of the repainting and restoration but this additional cost brought on by the WTC should be picked up by FEMA. The owners are already hurting as many tenants have not renewed their leases and many others are questioning about the contaminants on their window sills. This

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