Demoliton at Uniroyal/Facemate may start in summer
Date: 12/22/2008
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
CHICOPEE In what he called "an important step forward in finally getting some action in the Chicopee falls waterfront," Mayor Michael Bissonnette announced last week at the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting that the first buildings to be demolished on the Uniroyal/Facemate site should come down next summer.
After the breakfast meeting, Bissonnette explained to Reminder Publications that a meeting with state and federal officials and other stakeholders helped to define the environmental problems at the site as well as updating the status of the legal issues.
The meting was to "share my sense of urgency and opportunity."
"These are legal and environmental issues that are more complex than anything a community like Chicopee ever faced," he said.
Bissonnette likened to job of clearing the titles to the two properties and getting them clean for redevelopment to a carnival game of "Whack-a-Mole" in that a new problem would pop up once another had been solved.
He said the tire giant Michelin has already paid $2 million in cleaning up the Uniroyal property of which it took responsibility, the city has another $1.2 million in federal assistance for the demolition of the buildings, but is seeking additional funding from MassDevelopment.
The difficulty with the demotions is that mercury and asbestos issues have to be mitigated before the buildings come down, however Bissonnette said that some of the structures are so unstable that they must be demolished first and then crews will go through the rubble.
The first buildings he believed could be demolished are on the Uniroyal site closest to the river. He added that MassDevelopment would be doing an analysis to see if any of the buildings are structurally sound for re-use.
The site is a combined 80 acres of which 40 acres can be re-developed. Bissonnette said he would like to see a mixed use of housing and retail in what would be a new neighborhood that would have access to the riverfront by a walking path.
His goal is to have the property ready for the economic rebound, although he said the complete redevelopment of the area would probably take a decade.
He said he anticipates action in Superior Court will solve all of the legal issues surrounding the two parcels by the end of this year.
He noted that "five generations of high schools students" have walked past the abandoned facilities.
"No wonder they think there's no future here," he said.
"I won't be satisfied until the building are gone and the land is put back to some productive re-use," he said,
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In other development news, Bissonnette said the first phase of the Chicopee River bike path will be going out to bid. The section of the project from the Davitt Memorial Bridge to Grape Street has been funded through MassHighway.
He added the bid for the reconstruction of Center Street has also gone out to bid and the reconstruction of the Davitt Bridge has been moved up on the state's timetable to either 2011 or 2012 depending upon the completion date of the reconstruction of Front Street.
