Parkside Building Restoration

They set a $75,000 goal; many said it was unreachable, however they raised $50k in a matter of two days, and after two weeks they had raised $90,000, enough to add a pool. The classic Federal-style building is one of only a handful of buildings constructed in this style in Titusville. The steel frame structure is built with only a 4-foot deep basement, so as to prevent flooding, and has its own artesian well for water.

The building proudly served the YMCA for 101 years before being left mostly to the elements. It sat vacant for several years, as deals from potential buyers fell through.

In August of 2020, tortured by the thought of the Titusville community losing this important building, local resident and entrepreneur Nathanial Licht purchased the old YMCA, with little more than the cash for the purchase and a dream of restoring it to its former glory.

Since taking the keys, Nathaniel has managed, through a team of volunteers and his own bare hands, to accomplish the following:

·      Removed most of the paneling, drop ceilings, old wiring, and unnecessary additions.

·      Work has begun removing the old boilers and assessing the remaining plumbing.

·      New hot and cold water lines run and tested the storm and sanitary sewers.

·      Mold abatement has occurred in the basement.

·      Pigeon removal has been ongoing and entry has been stopped
        (40 garbage bags of poop have been removed from the 3rd floor so far.)

·      Plaster repair is ongoing in the side room.

·      The roofs have been cleaned and debris has been removed







New boilers had been installed just prior to the YMCA vacating the building, but they were found to be completely destroyed by freezing temperatures and will have to be replaced.

Recently, a leak was discovered in a section of the roof that had been modified over the years. Without time to restore it to its proper design, a quicker solution must be constructed, to stave off any further water damage.

Restoring heat to the building is estimated to cost $4,000.

Building an additional roof over the third floor breezeway, where the leak was recently discovered, will require the installation of a section of trussed roof. The estimate for this work is also $4,000.

Weatherizing the walls of the breezeway and the northwest side of the building is estimated to cost $2,000.

These are the most urgent tasks at this point. Clean-up work is ongoing, and volunteers are always needed. But your donation will go a long way toward getting this building back into usable condition. Nathanial has great ideas to get the community back into this wonderful piece of Titusville history. Stay tuned for updates!