Ludlow Mills project receives cleanup assistance from state

Date: 12/10/2012

BOSTON – Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray recently announced that Ludlow Mills, the 170-acre site planned for redevelopment by Westmass Development is among five new projects designated for cleanup assistance through the Patrick-Murray Administration's Brownfield Support Team (BST) Initiative. Ludlow Mills is the only project located in Western Massachusetts that is involved in the third round of the BST.

The Ludlow Mills project is a "mixed use" project with primary focus on commercial and industrial development. The site has environmental cleanup needs that require further assessment and has received both state and federal grants that have provided site and environmental remediation.

In responding to the announcement of the site as a brownfield support priority, Kenn Delude, president and CEO of Westmass Area Development Corporation said, "Westmass, the Town of Ludlow and our region are pleased by the lieutenant governor's announcement to include the Ludlow Mills Preservation and Redevelopment project in the BST, and we thank Gov. Patrick and the Administration and our legislative delegation for their continued support and assistance.

"As the largest brownfield mill redevelopment project in New England, the Ludlow Mills project will significantly benefit from the inter-disciplinary work of the BST to address complex and complicated environmental aspects of this project as we work to revitalize the site, retain and grow jobs, and improve the regional economy," he continued.

Westmass and HealthSouth recently jointly broke ground on a 74,500 square-foot, 53-bed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) "Silver Certified" rehabilitation hospital that will offer all private rooms for patients needing rehabilitative care. The hospital is slated for completion in November 2013.

Planning is also underway to develop a $20 million, 83-unit senior housing complex on the site. Both projects will result in hundreds of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs once completed.

Redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills complex over the next two decades will create and retain more than 2,000 jobs and stimulate up to $300 million in private investment. The 170-acre site includes 66 buildings, offers approximately 1.45 million sq. ft. of space and is bordered by 1.5 miles of riverfront.

Build-out of the project will occur over 15 or more years and the project will embrace sustainable development principles and will seek to encourage LEED quality new construction at the site.

Launched in 2008, the BST has coordinated 24 state, local, and federal agencies over the last several years to tackle some of the state's most complex brownfields and has helped to deliver more than $18 million in funding to accelerate cleanup and streamline progress to overcome technical roadblocks.

Westmass has successfully developed large-scale complex projects in the region for more than 50 years and is responsible for the redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills. Westmass is a founding affiliate of EDC of Western Massachusetts.