GM Demolition Decision Soon; Local Officials Want In On MLC Deliberations On Matters
MASSENA - The fate of the shuttered General Motors Powertrain Plant is still up in the air, but the decision whether to demolish the 50-year-old auto plant should be made in a matter of weeks, according to a project manager for the plant's owner, Motors Liquidation Corporation.
So local officials are asking for a seat at the table as MLC debates full or partial demolition and the use of local labor in the event the firm does decide to raze the facility.
MLC Project Manager Pamela L. Barnett met with the North Country Redevelopment Task Force Thursday to provide an update on the liquidation firm's stance on the future of the 50-year-old facility and to answer questions about marketing, remediation and redevelopment efforts at the site.
Ms. Barnett said the firm is still exploring its options, which include leaving the structures standing and continuing the search for a buyer, taking down the most polluted sections of the plant and leaving some structures standing for possible future development or completely demolishing the 900,000 square foot factory.
"I know you're all interested about the decision on the demolition of the building, but that decision has not been made as of yet," she said. "We're still exploring all options and working with all the stakeholders involved."
The spokeswoman did confirm that a meeting was held at the plant in late February between MLC officials and several contractors who specialize in demolition, but characterized the session as a "scoping meeting" which allowed professionals to take a thorough look at the buildings in order to prepare estimates for razing the structures.
Local officials had been told bids for demolition had been solicited at that session, but Ms. Barnett said MLC has not yet released a formal request for bids, which they would do within the next few weeks if the decision is made to knock down the buildings. She could not say which firms had participated in the session or whether any of the companies given the demolition tour were from the North Country.
Ms. Barnett did point out that MLC would be looking to put at least some local people to work on any possible demolition project, though she could not say what percentage of the work would be given to the region's contractors or how many workers would be hired from the area.
"MLC would be interested in using local workers," she said. "As far as any local contracting, it's going to have to be a company that is qualified for the task at hand. But MLC has not yet made the decision to demolish the buildings, so it's really too soon to talk about specifics."
Environmental Protection Agency Project Manager Anne E. Kelly noted that, in addition to being qualified to perform demolition work, contractors who perform any of the remediation at the site would need to have the proper credentials to work with contaminated materials. The site is a federally-designated Superfund with extensive polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination, as well as lead and asbestos concerns.
Local officials were somewhat surprised to hear that demolition of the building was not definite. They said they had been given the impression, based on conversations with several sources, that the building was coming down, whether the community liked it or not.
During a meeting in October, MLC representatives and Ms. Kelly had suggested demolition of the building may be the best way to address extensive contamination in the soils beneath the factory. But last month, Ms. Kelly said the EPA would not mandate demolition and would work with MLC to develop a cleanup plan based on whatever decision was made about the buildings.
Many task force members said they took the so-called "scoping meeting" last month as a clear sign of MLC's intentions regarding the plant.
The town building office has already received at least one inquiry from a contractor about the procedure for obtaining a demolition permit for the factory, further fueling speculation that the facility will soon be destroyed.
But Ms. Barnett maintained that demolition was not a foregone conclusion and that discussions about the costs of full or partial demolition versus the cost of ongoing operations and maintenance of the factory continue. She could not say how the cost of demolition compares to the $2.2 million annual maintenance costs for mothballing the factory, but did say that an unspecified amount of MLC funds has been set aside for demolition of the buildings, should the firm decide to pursue that option.
If MLC is still talking about what to do with the plant, task force members say they want to be included in those discussions.
"Would MLC consider sitting down with a group of local representatives to discuss these options," Task Force member Daniel S. Pease asked.
"It would be nice for us all to be a part of that discussion," Industrial Development Agency Deputy CEO Patrick J. Kelly said.
Ms. Barnett said she would bring the request back to the proper MLC officials and encouraged the task force to send a letter asking for a seat at the table as well.
