A small but talented group of Chelsea residents are fighting to save a piece of their history from the wrecking ball.
The "Save the Livery" group is trying to safeguard the oldest part of the Longworth building, a horse livery that dates back to the turn of the 20th Century. The city wants to tear down the building for redevelopment, however, there isn’t a current plan to build anything on the space right now.
The 2-story building sits on Main Street just south of Jackson Street. The now closed Longworth Plating Service occupied the 11,800-square-foot industrial building most recently. The structure is divided into three main sections of varying ages, and oldest is the livery that served as a 10-cent barn.
City officials hired a structural engineer who painted a grim picture, stating that the building was failing structurally and located on a brownfield space. The report prompted a grassroots group to stand up and "set the record straight." Among the members are architects, historic preservation experts, structural engineers and MDEQ employees who disputed the city's findings and advocated for saving this piece of Chelsea's history.
"One of Chelsea's major selling points and reasons why people care to visit is its historic character," says Greg Raye, owner of Chelsea-based Greg Raye Architects. "It's also connects to the Main Street buildings around the corner. If it was gone it would be a missing tooth in the commercial fabric."
The group has been able to win a stay of execution for the livery until Oct. 19. They are advocating for turning the structure into a mixed-use building. Although possible, Raye adds it won't be cheap. He foresees it costing a couple hundred thousand dollars to stabilize the building and up to $800,000 to have it completely redone.
"There is a wide range of things that could be housed there," Raye says.
Source: Greg Raye, owner of Chelsea-based Greg Raye Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
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