Newington, CT - Plans are being made to transform an abandoned factory contaminated with asbestos into a commercial development.
According to an environmental assessment of the land, the estimated cost of asbestos removal, while higher than the value of the property itself, isn't outrageous. Consulting firm Fuss & O'Neill, with the help from the Department of Environmental Protection, conducted an environmental study and after concluded that the land had potential.
The former National Welding factory has been closed since 1994, and it was placed on the town's list of ruined properties about five years later. Its owner, National Acme Inc., owes the city over $1.1 million in back taxes and interest and has a pending foreclosure suit filed by the city against the company.
Redeveloping the former factory site is a key obstacle in the town's vision for transforming the area into Newington's "gateway." Already, plans have already been approved for the building of an eight-acre commercial center, which will include a four-story hotel, a bank, and a Starbucks, next to the site.
Unless the unsightly land is fixed up, hotel guests staying in one of the many back rooms, will have a view of an abandoned factory.
It's yet to be confirmed how much the asbestos cleanup will cost the town, but a city official has said Newington plans to apply for state funding under a new program which helps projects geared toward redeveloping decrepit land. The town will begin soliciting bids for the redevelopment in the next few months.
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