‘RiverMills’ sees more progress

Date: 10/12/2011

Oct. 12, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE — Mayor Michael Bissonnette predicted at a press conference on Oct. 7 the city is halfway through a 10-year process of redeveloping the Uniroyal and Facemate sites.

Bissonnette made his comments during an announcement that the city has received a $50,000 state grant to assess the level of hazardous materials, such as asbestos, in the remaining buildings in the former industrial complex. Six buildings have been demolished so far, but 16 buildings remain.

He explained that removing the materials before the buildings are razed is far less expensive than sifting through the bricks and mortar after a building is on the ground.

Bissonnette also announced the city’s application for a $5.4 million grant from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program through the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development is being considered and city officials should learn whether it will be approved by early November.

That grant would be used to demolish Uniroyal buildings, numbers seven, eight, 14, 15 and 33 as well as create a permanent consolidation area for contaminated soils; the replacement of existing water lines; the installation of new electric conduits on the Facemate property; and the construction of a new pedestrian corridor and park loop on the site’s former canal system.

Michelin Tires, which had bought the assets of Uniroyal, is still working with the city on the clean up of the site, Bissonnette said. He added the issue facing both the city and the Michelin representatives is what kind of contamination is under the buildings and who is responsible for the removal and remediation of that soil.

“The good news is nothing has traveled into the river,” Bissonnette said.

The construction of the new senior center will move forward with the demolition of the Facemate building. The city will review bids on Oct. 27 and expects the job to cost around $2 million.

The project, which has a new name, “RiverMills at Chicopee Falls,” has been accomplished so far without the use of city funds. Bissonnette noted federal monies have paid for the demolitions and the new senior center may receive a $3 million federal grant for its construction.

“It’s been a good bidding climate to get a lot of this work done,” he noted.

When asked about the final outcome of the development – a brochure prepared by the city describes an area featuring housing, office space and recreational features — Bissonnette said, “A lot of the options are going to depend on the development community.”

Noting the effects of the recession on potential development now, the mayor said, “The worst case scenario is that we will have a very nice cleaned up site by the Chicopee River [for future development].”