Tuesday evening, City Council approved Mayor Kos’ request for the allocation of $870,000 for the ongoing project at the Uniroyal and Facemate Lot #1 to prepare the site for redevelopment. This additional funding was requested to address the needs of near future projects and activities at the site which includes furthering the work with the City’s Licensed Site Professional (LSP), site remediation at the Baskin Property (Facemate Lot #1), backfilling the lower tier, and hazmat abatement and securing the roof at Uniroyal building #26 which the City is planning to repurpose as part of the overall redevelopment. Since 2009, eleven of the original 21 structures have been demolished and ten remain standing as of March 2017.
(Please see the attached presentation below from the Community Development/Planning Department from the special City Council meeting on March 20th)
BETA Group, Inc., the City’s Licensed Site Professional (LSP), is continuing its work on the MA Contingency Plan requirements as well as working with the City and EPA, MassDEP, ConComm, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to file all applications for approval of the work. This funding will also help cover the hazmat abatement of three Uniroyal middle tier buildings, for which the City received $600,000 in EPA grants for the abatement of the buildings. The total cost of the abatement is $1.6 million.
The City is utilizing another EPA grant to remediate the Baskin Property at Facemate Lot #1. However this grant will not cover the total cost of the project and $170,000 is being requested. The Office of Community Development and the Planning Department will work with the City to issue a RFP for the sale and redevelopment of the property later in the year once the site is clean and work is complete.
The lower tier of the Uniroyal site is planned to be backfilled which will result in generation of revenue as the City. It is anticipated that such fill would amount to 300,000 cubic yards or 450,000 tons which Chicopee will take in for a fee. Coordination and approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be required for this project.
One of the remaining buildings on the 28 acre site is Uniroyal Building #26 (the main administration building). The City will attempt to repurpose it as part of the redevelopment. Chicopee is currently utilizing $211,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the abatement of parts of the building, including hazmat removal, which will not cover the total cost to complete this activity. The roof to the building also needs additional work to be secured. It is expected that the City will be able to redevelop the site as housing and/or offices.
The total cost of these projects and activities is $1,870,000. The Office of Community Development and Planning Department have requested $870,000 for Fiscal Year 2017 and will request the remaining balance as work progresses and funds become available in Fiscal Year 2018.
City Council Special Meeting Presentation
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