A new Westgate opens Dec. 1

Warwick Beacon ·

It looks just like it did before the fire, but looks can be deceiving.

The new Building C of Westgate condominiums on Quaker lane is remarkably similar, yet vastly different, than the structure that was rapidly consumed by fire on March 11, 2015. The building, with 38 condominiums and five basic layouts, are outfitted the way they were before the fire but look strikingly different with modern color schemes, new appliances, flooring, kitchen countertops and bathroom fixtures.

On Dec. 1, the resurrection of Building C will be completed, and condo owners, who have been paying slightly reduced association fees since the fire, will be free to move in. A few owners are looking to sell and, given the newness of the premises, realtor Lisa Russo of Remax, says there’s plenty of interest.

For William Herendeen, property manager for Churchill & Banks and secretary of the Westgate Condo Association, Dec. 1 represents the end of a long ordeal. He remembers all too well the sunny and windy day when fire broke out on the third floor of the building. Firefighters arrived quickly, but accessing the volume and pressure of water needed to fight the blaze proved problematic. The complex’s self-contained system with booster pumps couldn’t handle the demand, and by the time firefighters tied into the system of a neighboring condo complex, the building was nearly fully engulfed. By that evening, with the remains smoldering, a wrecking crane was on site exposing hot spots; in the weeks to come, they leveled the charred remains. An extensive investigation focused on roof and interior wall repairs. Heaters had been used to dry out areas that had been soaked from roof ice dams. In the end, the state fire marshal was unable to say what started the fire. The fire broke out in mid-morning when most tenants were at work or awake. No injuries were reported.

Herendeen said the most demanding aspect of rebuilding the complex has been dealing with 38 different condo owners. It has meant 38 different paint schemes, light fixtures, floors and a multitude of other details. While insurance is paying to restore units and the building looks like a replica of what it was when erected in the 1970s, it’s different. The short steps down to the first level are gone, and it’s now American Disabilities Act accessible, although tenants will still need to climb stairs to get to the second and third floors (there is no elevator). Thanks to waivers approved by the Warwick Code Board of Review some aspects of the building code, which were implemented long after the original building was constructed, have been relaxed. The fire code is not one of them. All the units have sprinklers and two-hour fire rated doors. The building also has fire stops.

Herendeen said the three-building Westgate complex has been tied into a Kent County Water Authority high-pressure line, which has improved water pressure and volume. The booster pumps are no longer needed. He said the association is considering the future installation of sprinklers in the A and B buildings at a cost of about $45,000 each.

The replacement cost of the building was pegged at $11.6 million, according to Herendeen, and construction costs came in at about $8 million. He said “deliberations” continue with Liberty Mutual, the insurer, and the association plans to tap into a $2 million Small Business Administration loan in the meantime to pay Troy Construction for their work.

Herendeen said the city administration, and in particular Mayor Scott Avedisian and building official Alfred T. DeCorte and his office, have been good to work with. In the wake of the fire, the city ceased the condo property taxes.

With December 1 around the corner, Herendeen is looking forward to handing unit owners their new keys. And then, he says, he thinks he’ll take a vacation.