Decker Towers
Encyclopedia
Decker Towers is an eleven-floor apartment building located at 230 St. Paul Street in Burlington, Vermont
. At 124 feet (37.8 m) tall, it is the tallest building in Vermont
,While Decker Towers in the tallest building in Vermont, Bennington Battle Monument
is a taller monument, and the WKDR Radio Tower
is the tallest man-made structure in Vermont. and the shortest of any state's tallest building. It is located in the smallest of any state's biggest city (Burlington, Vermont). Decker Towers was built as a turnkey project. After it was built by Pizzagalli Construction Company in 1971, it was purchased by the city of Burlington. It is owned and managed as public housing
by the Burlington Housing Authority. The assessed value of Decker Towers is $11,104,000, with the building, land, and yard items valued at $10,224,700, $712,900, and $166,400, respectively.
The Burlington Housing Authority's Neighborhood Networks Technology Center is located within Decker Towers. It has computers for use by all residents of subsidized housing in the Burlington area.
In late 1971, the administrative offices of the Burlington Housing Authority were moved to the first floor of 230 St. Paul Street. The offices were there until July 2002. The building was dedicated as Decker Towers on .
Prior to 2010, the building’s exterior had degraded: there were cracks, moisture in the insulation, and window seals were no longer fully functional.
In 2009, money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
was used at Decker Towers to replace hallway floors as well as resurface the parking lot
. Additional funding for renovations also came from Capital Fund Grants.
Other renovations included weatherproofing, a thorough power-wash, reinforcement of stucco, application of a waterproof membrane, a fiberglass mesh layer, and new caulk. The dust barriers were also replaced.
More than 550 windows were removed and replaced with energy efficient windows. 33000 ft2 of Exterior Insulation Finishing System
was improved by increasing the thickness of the insulation and re-painting the building.
Decker Towers was fully occupied and functioning during the renovations. The project was finished ahead of schedule.
. Water
from the building's fire sprinkler system caused $100,000 damage.
Decker Towers are smoke-free as of November 1, 2010. The new policy was encouraged by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The change was motivated by concerns about the effects of second-hand smoke and by safety concerns. The policy will require resident smokers to leave the property, and violating the policy will result in terminating tenancy. Smoking cessation programs were made available at little to no cost.
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. At 124 feet (37.8 m) tall, it is the tallest building in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
,While Decker Towers in the tallest building in Vermont, Bennington Battle Monument
Bennington Battle Monument
The Bennington Battle Monument is a 306 ft stone obelisk located at 15 Monument Circle, in Bennington, Vermont. The monument commemorates the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War....
is a taller monument, and the WKDR Radio Tower
WKDR Radio Tower
The WKDR Radio Tower, at , is the tallest man-made structure in Vermont. It is located in Burlington, Vermont. It broadcasts at 5000 Watts. WKDR is the only radio station that has a radio tower in Burlington. There is a second tower, also built in 1981, which is a directional aerial beside the...
is the tallest man-made structure in Vermont. and the shortest of any state's tallest building. It is located in the smallest of any state's biggest city (Burlington, Vermont). Decker Towers was built as a turnkey project. After it was built by Pizzagalli Construction Company in 1971, it was purchased by the city of Burlington. It is owned and managed as public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
by the Burlington Housing Authority. The assessed value of Decker Towers is $11,104,000, with the building, land, and yard items valued at $10,224,700, $712,900, and $166,400, respectively.
Features
Decker Towers has a small community garden. Decker Towers has 161 apartments for seniors and people with disabilities. The apartments are either one bedroom or efficiency apartments; six apartments are wheelchair accessible. There is also a dining area, a library, and an 11th floor sitting area. The tenant organization hosts monthly dinners, holiday events and bingo.The Burlington Housing Authority's Neighborhood Networks Technology Center is located within Decker Towers. It has computers for use by all residents of subsidized housing in the Burlington area.
History
When it opened on August 31, 1971, Decker Towers was called 230 St. Paul Street. It was the fourth property owned by the Burlington Housing Authority. It was built on top of the old Burlington ravine sewer route.In late 1971, the administrative offices of the Burlington Housing Authority were moved to the first floor of 230 St. Paul Street. The offices were there until July 2002. The building was dedicated as Decker Towers on .
Renovations
Decker Towers was built with an orange brick exterior. In 1984, exterior insulation was added over the brick as well as pastel swatches designed by Rolf Kielman.Prior to 2010, the building’s exterior had degraded: there were cracks, moisture in the insulation, and window seals were no longer fully functional.
In 2009, money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
was used at Decker Towers to replace hallway floors as well as resurface the parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
. Additional funding for renovations also came from Capital Fund Grants.
Other renovations included weatherproofing, a thorough power-wash, reinforcement of stucco, application of a waterproof membrane, a fiberglass mesh layer, and new caulk. The dust barriers were also replaced.
More than 550 windows were removed and replaced with energy efficient windows. 33000 ft2 of Exterior Insulation Finishing System
Exterior Insulation Finishing System
Exterior insulation and finishing system is a type of building exterior wall cladding system that provides exterior walls with an insulated finished surface and waterproofing in an integrated composite material system.-Terminology:...
was improved by increasing the thickness of the insulation and re-painting the building.
Decker Towers was fully occupied and functioning during the renovations. The project was finished ahead of schedule.
Smoking Policy
Decker Towers had an apartment fire February 17, 2010 caused by careless smokingSmoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
. Water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
from the building's fire sprinkler system caused $100,000 damage.
Decker Towers are smoke-free as of November 1, 2010. The new policy was encouraged by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The change was motivated by concerns about the effects of second-hand smoke and by safety concerns. The policy will require resident smokers to leave the property, and violating the policy will result in terminating tenancy. Smoking cessation programs were made available at little to no cost.
See also
- List of tallest buildings by U.S. state
- List of tallest buildings in Burlington, Vermont