A humane society building wrecked by the tornado that sent fur flying in Springfield’s South End neighborhood last year needed more than $3 million in repairs to fix the damaged structure.
Crews from Five Star Building Corp. worked for four months – straight – to repair the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, after two-by-fours and tree limbs tore through the property’s roof, smashing windows and damaging mechanical systems.
“It all started that night and didn’t really stop until September,” Five Star President Kevin Perrier told Banker & Tradesman.
The 171 Union St. building that serves as the organization’s Springfield adoption and education center needed an entirely new roof, major repairs to the HVAC system, new ceilings in places and countless new windows shattered by the storm.
“Looking on the bright side, when all is said and done, it did kind of work out well for the humane society,” Perrier opined. “Now they have a new roof that will last another 20 years. I wouldn’t say the previous ones were near the end of their lifespan, but replacing those with new ones is an improvement.”
In an incredible example of the tornado’s strength, a rooftop heating and air conditioning unit weighing roughly five tons was pushed more than three feet off its base by the sheer force of the wind.
When Perrier heard of the damage to the building the night of the storm, he mobilized two dozen of his workers to help stabilize the structure. Many worked from 7 p.m. that Wednesday and didn’t wrap up until 1 the following morning.
“That was the largest emergency repair operation at the time in downtown Springfield that I could see,” Perrier told Banker & Tradesman.
Five Star was contracted for several other commercial repair projects throughout the city following the tornado and in surrounding communities, making for a busy summer, Perrier said. Some of those projects took substantially longer because of disagreements with insurance companies, lack of coverage or design timelines.
“There was a serious shortage of engineers during the summer months since they were all so busy,” Perrier added. “In Downtown Springfield it’s still very evident what went on. There are numerous buildings that were torn down and are now vacant lots. It doesn’t appear they’ll be repaired anytime soon. It’ll take years to get things back the way they were.”
