The county touted Birmingham Place as a “shining example” of the federal economic-stimulus package at work – and of the good that can be accomplished through public-private partnerships.
Birmingham Place is a six-bedroom ranch home on Birmingham Street in the southwestern part of Maplewood.
Ramsey County’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority purchased the vacant home for $127,000 in June, using stimulus funds won by the county to implement its neighborhood-stabilization program. That program identifies vacant properties suitable for rehabilitation and resale, buys them and hires workers to carry out the property’s renovation.
Rehabilitation work on Birmingham Place was done exclusively by union members, who volunteered their time and labor to improve the property’s appearance and habitability, and to make sure the property satisfied building and health-and-safety codes.
Ramsey County estimated the value of labor and materials contributed by local unions and union contractors had reduced the cost of the project by $5,000 to $7,500. The work carried out by union volunteers improved the value of Birmingham Place by $45,000.
Participating unions included Plumbers Local 34, Painters Local 61 and Local 110 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
At the Veterans Day ceremony, Frank Gurney, a former U.S. Marine and retired member of IBEW Local 110, raised the American flag for the first time outside Birmingham Place as several VIP guests looked on, including Ramsey County commissioners Janice Rettman and Victoria Reinhardt, Maplewood Mayor Will Rossbach, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson and Tom McCarthy, business representative of Plumbers Local 34.
Gurney was recognized at the ceremony for his work to get Building Trades unions on board with the project. “Janice Rettman is my county commissioner, and I told her if they ever got a veterans-service project that needed volunteers, give me a call,” he said.
“Everywhere we turned, we had people who were willing to help. All you have to do is ask,” said Commissioner Reinhardt, whose district includes Birmingham Place. “That’s what community is all about.”
Michael Moore edits The Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation. Learn more at www.stpaulunions.org
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The county touted Birmingham Place as a “shining example” of the federal economic-stimulus package at work – and of the good that can be accomplished through public-private partnerships.
Birmingham Place is a six-bedroom ranch home on Birmingham Street in the southwestern part of Maplewood.
Ramsey County’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority purchased the vacant home for $127,000 in June, using stimulus funds won by the county to implement its neighborhood-stabilization program. That program identifies vacant properties suitable for rehabilitation and resale, buys them and hires workers to carry out the property’s renovation.
Rehabilitation work on Birmingham Place was done exclusively by union members, who volunteered their time and labor to improve the property’s appearance and habitability, and to make sure the property satisfied building and health-and-safety codes.
Ramsey County estimated the value of labor and materials contributed by local unions and union contractors had reduced the cost of the project by $5,000 to $7,500. The work carried out by union volunteers improved the value of Birmingham Place by $45,000.
Participating unions included Plumbers Local 34, Painters Local 61 and Local 110 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
At the Veterans Day ceremony, Frank Gurney, a former U.S. Marine and retired member of IBEW Local 110, raised the American flag for the first time outside Birmingham Place as several VIP guests looked on, including Ramsey County commissioners Janice Rettman and Victoria Reinhardt, Maplewood Mayor Will Rossbach, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson and Tom McCarthy, business representative of Plumbers Local 34.
Gurney was recognized at the ceremony for his work to get Building Trades unions on board with the project. “Janice Rettman is my county commissioner, and I told her if they ever got a veterans-service project that needed volunteers, give me a call,” he said.
“Everywhere we turned, we had people who were willing to help. All you have to do is ask,” said Commissioner Reinhardt, whose district includes Birmingham Place. “That’s what community is all about.”
Michael Moore edits The Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation. Learn more at www.stpaulunions.org