DANVERS — Barry Zeltzer can't forget the Danversport explosion. He is still paying for it.
Zeltzer is executive director of the New England Homes for the Deaf, where 84 deaf residents | some who are also blind and frail elders | had to be evacuated from the Water Street location the night of the blast. The residents and staff were displaced for two months while the facilities were repaired. Meanwhile, the Homes for the Deaf paid to rent space in a Beverly nursing home.
The blast caused as much as $1.4 million in damage and relocation costs to the Homes for the Deaf, and Zeltzer said they're still grappling with insurance claims.
"Our residents are back to normal, but we're still returning to normal," Zeltzer said. "It's been a long ordeal."
Officials estimate the total cost of the Danversport explosion | to residents, businesses and agencies like the Homes for the Deaf | tops $20 million, although it's hard to pin down a final figure yet.
"We estimate $10 million in residential repairs are being done or in the process of being done. And I think that may be a conservative estimate," said state Rep. Ted Speliotis (D-Danvers), whose office sent out 200 surveys to Danversport households to gather information.
On top of that, the explosion and its aftermath cost the town $1.6 million, which will be covered by the state. The state is also trying to bill CAI Inc. for the $312,000 in costs associated with responding to the blast and cleaning up the release of hazardous materials.
So far, seven lawsuits have been filed against CAI Inc. and Arnel Co., the two businesses sharing the building where the blast occurred.
Last week, the insurer for Kimball Memorials, Pioneer Garage and the owner of the land where the Danversport Bakery stood filed a suit in Salem Superior Court seeking damages of at least $682,000. A class action lawsuit on behalf of boat owners whose vessels were destroyed has also been filed.
Three insurance companies have filed suit to recoup payments -- roughly $2 million so far -- that insurers have made to business and property owners to repair damage from the explosion.
"I was very shocked by how well insurance worked out. That might not be fair, but you heard a lot of horror stories," said John Lynch, whose severely damaged home at 12 Bates St. had to be torn down and rebuilt. His insurance covered the costs.
While many houses have been rebuilt, some residents are still in limbo.
"As bizarre as it sounds," resident Kelly Lord said, "the lucky ones are the ones who had their homes condemned."
For Janet and Mark Lettich, insurance agreed to repair their home, but not rebuild it.
"It was so badly damaged," Janet Lettich said, "we didn't want to go through that."
So, like many other residents, the Lettiches have relied on a combination of insurance claim money along with bank loans and Small Business Administration disaster loans to make up the difference. They rebuilt their home on Riverside Street and moved in recently.
At the New England Homes for the Deaf, which is a nonprofit agency that houses 84 residents in independent-living apartments, a rest home and a skilled nursing facility, Zeltzer said he is eager for a conclusion.
"It's taken too long," he said, "but my staff and the residents are absolutely amazing people. Without them, none of this would have resulted in success. The community has been astounding | that's what we have to be thankful for."
Danversport Explosion
Cost of blast could top $20 million
- Local News
-
-
Developer plans $20M plaza
A proposed land swap with the state would allow a private developer to build a $20 million shopping plaza on Brimbal Avenue with stores, restaurants, a bank and medical offices. The plaza, to be called North Shore Commons, would have about twice as m
-
Route for cable work changed
A Salem neighborhood got a partial reprieve yesterday when National Grid announced it no longer plans to install an underground transmission line down Derby Street, a narrow roadway that runs through a downtown business district. Not laying the new c
-
Police get a two-fer during robbery investigation
SALEM -- A Salem robbery investigation took a "Law and Order"-style turn when, police say, while seeking to question witnesses to a robbery, they discovered a prostitution business being run by the suspect's girlfriend. Now, both Aaron Pelletier, 44
-
Former attorney for victims of plant explosion indicted
DANVERS -- A lawyer who represented some business and property owners affected by the 2006 CAI ink plant explosion in Danversport has been indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on charges that he invented additional, fictitious victims of the disas
-
Salem Pioneer Village may stay open for summer
SALEM -- The city is working on a plan to keep Salem Pioneer Village from closing this summer. Gordon College announced last month that it will not renew its agreement to manage the city-owned living history site. The Wenham college will finish its c
- Man gets 18 months in housebreaks
- Family Festival offers something for everyone nearly every day
- Work underway at Universal Steel site
- 10 to square off in Danvers Idol finals
- Police: 1 injured, 1 arrested in stabbing
- Several roads will be closed for paving
- Senate proposes changes in welfare
- College students race concrete canoes in national competition
- Cummings Foundation gives $100,000 grants
- Police: Man grabs woman's cash outside Salem store
- Police
- National Grid underground cable project in Salem will avoid Derby Street
- School's longer year all but gone
- Soldier admits role in $1M cocaine deal
- Sapienza reflects on his tenure
- Child molester denied permission to travel to NH
- Correction
- Gloucester mailman accused of stealing debit card and pin, then spending $4,000
- Taxi rate hike put on hold
- Woman admits story was a hoax
- Police: Man assaults Home Depot employee
- Hells Angels trial may be postponed
- Police
- House OKs civil service change
- Rainbow flag irks veterans
-
Developer plans $20M plaza




