City Council to question next step for Uniroyal building

Date: 1/9/2015

CHICOPEE – The City Council decided to delay approving $185,000 to secure and further stabilize the former Uniroyal administration building until questions some councilors have can be addressed in a Finance Committee meeting.

Mayor Richard Kos had asked the council to approve $185,000 to seal up the windows with plywood, secure the brick parapets and further repair the roof.

“This is a lot of money but I don’t what are the options are at this time,” Kos admitted. He added if the city, which owns the building, doesn’t do something to preserve the building for future development the only other recourse would be to demolish it at a cost of $800,000 to $1 million.

Kos explained to the council during his briefing before the Jan. 6 meeting that some developers have toured the building, and while some have expressed some potential interest, there has been nothing definite.

The Bissonnette administration had acquired the Uniroyal and Facemate sites for potential redevelopment and had used state and federal dollars to undertake demolition and brownfield cleanup of part of the site. Kos noted that no city funds had been used on the buildings up until his request, and there are outside funds that could be use to secure the building.

Al Hanscom of the engineering firm The Beta Group provided the council with a report on the building and told them the on-going asbestos and lead remediation of the structure is costing less than originally thought.

Despite not being used and open to the elements for years, Hanscom said the “bones” of the building are very good. He explained the roof itself is in good condition and that waters leaks have been due to the copper flashing being stripped from the building. Glass in several skylights is also missing.

There has been an airflow system installed as Hanscom said serious problems could result from having a building sealed without ventilation.

The bids from companies seeking to do the job are already in place, Hanscom added.

Councilor James Tillotson said, “This is the problem we have in government; we have to look to the future.”

He called the building “iconic.”

During the meeting, Councilor Timothy McLellan made a motion to send the issue to the Finance Committee.

“This is a lot of money, “ he said. “I don’t see a lot of re-use for this building.”

McLellan said the meeting would allow councilor to ask more questions and learn about options for the building.

Councilor William Zaskey said, “It’s a landmark in the city of Chicopee. We don’t have many landmarks to preserve in the city.”

He noted that over several generations thousands of people worked at the tire-making plant.

“This is something I think has some value to it,” he added. Zaskey cited the successful conversion of the former Classical High School into condominiums as an example of reuse.

Tillotson said securing the building would “mothball it” for future use. He noted the administration building doesn’t have adequate parking and the building behind it needs to come down to make it more attractive for developers.

Councilor Shane Brooks said the city doesn’t want to be in the position Holyoke is in with the crumbling Essex House.

Councilor Frederick Krampits said another couple of weeks are going to “make or break” the building.

The council also voted to send a water bill the Parks and Recreation Department to the Parks and Recreation Committee for discussion.

The bill for $30,308.82 is to pay for water used to fill city pools last summer.

The Parks and Recreation Department did not have enough money for pool water allocated in its budget Kos explained during the briefing and was asking the council for the additional funds out of free cash.

Tillotson disputed the breakdown of the bill since about half of it was supposedly used at the Fairview Pool.  He also said the department should budget realistically for the cost of pool water.

“I prefer to see an honest figure,” he said.

Councilor Frank Laflamme, chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee, said he would call a meeting to discuss the status of the city’s pools, several of which are leaking water and require repairs. Laflamme added an examination of the bill would also be part of the discussion.