City receives grant for parking lot project
Date: 8/8/2012
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE — There is an additional step that must be taken in the conversion of the site of the former Market Square Billiards building into more parking spaces for downtown businesses.
Mayor Michael Bissonnette explained to Reminder Publications that MassDevelopment has awarded a $170,000 grant to the city for the removal of dry cleaning chemicals found in the soil at that site and under the neighboring building which houses single-room residences and Quicky's Restaurant.
Once the contaminated soil is removed, the location for the parking lot will be ready for paving, painting and lights, Bissonnette said.
The perchlorethylene — a solvent used in dry cleaning — was apparently released years ago when there was a dry cleaning business near the location, Bissonnette said.
There will be a Request for Proposals issued later this month and Bissonnette believes the work would start by the beginning of November. Once the work is completed, the city will issue another call for bids for the paving and finishing of the parking lot, he added.
"This is another example of what can be accomplished when government entities cooperate on complicated brownfield redevelopment projects. The Market Square project has eliminated a vacant deteriorating structure and will remediate a significant environment concern in Chicopee center," Bissonnette said. "The project was originally undertaken to eliminate a blighting effect on the downtown and provide additional parking to support area business. We will continue to work with our state and federal partners in our on-going efforts to improve the business and residential climate in downtown Chicopee."
Bissonnette added the Valley Opportunity Council (VOC), which rents space in the building next to the site, would be purchasing the structure. He said a $2 million renovation of the building would take place to improve the residence service and the VOC would then close the single room residence building the organization currently operates next to City Hall on Front Street.
