Capital Improvements

Recent additions and other construction work

     The Pinehurst's Board of Directors is committed not only to maintaining our home but to improving it as it enters its second century. Over the last several years, the shareholders have invested in important projects that keep the building sound and make it more enjoyable.
     Improvements to the building's energy efficiency were significant enough to give shareholders an energy tax credit equal to about five percent of their maintenance fees paid in 2009.

Elevator Upgrade
     Our most recent improvement was to the elevator.  Some of its machinery had been installed around the time Robert Wagner was mayor in the 1950s; some of it was even older than that!  Although the equipment was largely reliable, it was temperamental at times. Residents were often left inconvenienced, and when the elevator needed repairs parts often had to be made from scratch because they weren't available anymore.

     The Board decided in the winter of 2010 to find an alternative to costly patches. They decided to replace the motor and system that hoists the cab, and to improve the cab's interior at the same time. Convenience and comfort were two important considerations, and another was the set of new, more strict elevator maintenance rules that went into effect that year. Read about the new rules here.

 


     The biggest challenge was the two main pieces of equipment, the motor and the controller. The motor runs the elevator up and down and the controller stops it at each floor. These components had survived many years past their expected useful life.
 

    Over seven weeks last fall, the elevator construction company Eltech removed the old system and replaced it with a new one. The job was completed on November 24, 2010, and was done within our financial means and without an assessment.

Elevator Links
     "Co-ops/Condos Face Costly New Elevator Code," from Habitat magazine, details new inspection procedures.
     "A Witness Program for Elevators," The New York Times, explains the new maintenance rules and why they're expensive.
    "Elevator Upgrades," by the engineering firm Rand, explains in layman's terms the costs associated with elevator improvements.

Façade Re-Pointing

     Pigeons pester us as they do most other buildings (and people) in New York. So in the summer of 2009 we hired a pigeon abatement company that strung wire, hung nets, and installed other methods to harmlessly keep pigeons off our facade. The change is so dramatic that we're going to pigeon-proof the south side later this year.

                                                                                                               (C) RoughAcres/RL McKee
We hired a crew to enlarge the sidewalk opening (right) for our tree,
and to adjust the fence to fit the new space (left).

     We also upgraded our laundry machines and laundry room in 2008, added a fitness room in 2007, and installed storage cages in 2006.

... and after.