Structural engineers and a recovery team have started work on Aberdeen’s Armory building to make it safe so recovery of items and museum artifacts can begin.

According to Aberdeen Parks & Recreation Director Stacie Barnum, the Restoration Management Company has begun setup and staging for its recovery work at the Armory building. RMC was hired by the city to do salvage work on the building in response to the June 9 fire that consumed the Aberdeen Museum of History, the offices of the Coastal Community Action Program and the Senior Center.

Aptum Engineering, also hired by the city, is preparing the work plan for safe access to the building. This plan will include additional fencing, shoring and removal of overhead hazards. Aptum hopes to have this work plan completed by the first week of October. Barnum said that it would be “probably about the second week of October” when RMC is able to go into the building after it has been made safe.

The first step is to perform the hazardous material testing, which will determine the levels and types of hazards in the building. Those test results will dictate the approach RMC takes in the recovery and the restoration processes. Once testing is completed, and a work plan developed, then the contractors can begin work to make the building safe for access.