A ray of hope for Burlington City's decrepit, but historic, McNeal Mansion

A year ago, the historic McNeal Mansion in Burlington City faced demolition after a redeveloper said the cost of restoring the fire-damaged building could approach $10 million.

At the time, the city's historic preservation commissioners said they were saddened that the three-story Colonial Revival mansion of Andrew McNeal, who founded what became U.S. Pipe & Foundry Co., might be razed, but seemed resigned to it.

But last month, Brahin Properties, the Philadelphia-based redeveloper, bowed out after the city balked at its plans to build a 200-unit townhouse and condominium complex on the 24-acre site. Brahin, which had acquired the site, sued the city and then settled for $1.49 million, relinquishing the deed to the city, City Administrator David Ballard said.

Now, a new redeveloper says it would like to convert the McNeal Mansion into a bed and breakfast on the Delaware River, though Mayor Barry Conaway says it might be only partially restored.

"We will do all we can to save the mansion, but we have to have structural engineers look at it and then talk about finances," said Craig Ryno, who heads acquisitions for the redeveloper, Capodagli Property Group of Linden, N.J.

Ryno said that the $10 million estimate seemed high, but that the company would conduct studies to see if it is feasible to restore the 10,450-square-foot masonry building.

Capodagli is also the designated redeveloper of the sprawling, shuttered U.S. Pipe plant - adjacent to the McNeal Mansion - which is on the market.

"We had a vision of where we wanted to go and figured it was best to get the [McNeal] property and work with a new redeveloper," Conaway said this week. He said the settlement with Brahin pays for the acquisition and engineering studies the developer conducted.

Conaway said the city wants housing on the property, but not at the density Brahin had proposed. Brahin's project would have had "too much of an impact on the schools," he said.

When contacted Thursday, Lee Brahin, CEO and owner of Brahin Properties, said, "I don't care to comment, since we settled. We're satisfied with the terms of the settlement."

Conaway said the possibility of saving the McNeal Mansion was also a consideration in making the change, but not a major one. Due to the severity of the damage, any restoration may be partial, he said, and may require a combination of public and private funding.

Ryno said Capodagli is in negotiations with the city to acquire the McNeal Mansion and its acreage.

He said the company would like to build multifamily housing, but declined to say how many units, since a proposal has not been formally presented. He said there also may be retail development on the site and possibly a park along the waterfront.

"These plans take various shapes over the years and nothing has been set in stone," Ryno said. "We think this would be a great destination for millennials and seniors who would use the waterfront and the transportation opportunities of the city."

Originally built for McNeal and his family in 1890, the mansion became the headquarters of U.S. Pipe in the 1920s and 1930s. Years later, it was abandoned, and a fire in 2001 left it in shambles. The building currently sits on an overgrown plot behind a chain-link fence.

jhefler@phillynews.com

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