“The 142-unit co-op, at 2575 Palisade Avenue in the Riverdale section of
the Bronx, is a paradise of sorts – at least according to Harry Amer, a
resident since 1980 and board president since 1982. “Everybody has a
beautiful view of the Hudson River and the Palisades,” says Amer.
“There are no buildings to the west of us, [just] a greenbelt, the trees,
and Metro North train rails. Other than that, you feel like you’re more in
the country than in New York City.”
Yet the seven-member board found it had trouble in paradise – trouble
with a capital ‘T’ and that rhymes with ‘P’ and that stands for pool.
The steel pool was installed more than 60 years ago “probably when
[the co-op] was built,” Amer notes, and it had a life expectancy of about
45 years. Problems began occurring about seven or eight years ago,
when it began experiencing what one observer called “settling
problems.” When the super inspected the pool, he noticed that the soil
underneath was getting washed away. In other words, with the soil
eroding, the pool, located at the top of a hill overlooking the Metro
North railroad, was moving – incrementally, it is true, but still moving.
“We’ve put in work over the years to stabilize it,” says David Lipson,
senior managing director for Century Management Services, who has
supervised the co-op for 15 years. “There were a lot of repairs [needed]
on the metal shell and support steel underneath. Gravel was also
added underneath to stabilize the soil, so it wouldn’t slide down into the
river.”
Written by: Tom Soter
Read the full article here: 2575 Palisade Feature in Habitat Magazine
