The move paves the way for the dilapidated buildings to be razed and a new senior center to be built on the land.
This is one of the former Facemate buildings that will be razed to make way for a new senior center in Chicopee.CHICOPEE – The federal government has withdrawn a lien placed on the former Facemate property in 2004, paving the way for the dilapidated buildings to be razed and a new senior center to be built on the land.
Six years ago, after Facemate Corp. was abandoned when owner Walter F. Mrozinski declared bankruptcy, vats and tanks of hazardous waste including ammonia, acids, hydrogen peroxide and other substances was found in three of seven buildings. The Environmental Protection Agency cleaned up the waste and placed a $1.39 million lien on the property.
When the city took the property about two years ago for back taxes, it also inherited the lien, which was the cost of the cleanup of the waste, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.
That lien prevented the city from using a planned $5 million federal Community Development Block Grant to tear down the Facemate buildings off West Main Street and build a senior center, he said.
“That is why this is so important,” he said. “This is the largest legal and environmental quagmire in the history of the city. It has been a cancer on the city.”
It also prevented the city from seeking a number of available federal grants to clean up the property, he said.
With negotiations stalled and the building committee pushing to start construction on the Senior Center, Bissonnette said he recently requested assistance from U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry this spring.
“It gives us full site control and it clears the way for the senior center,” he said.
In the settlement, the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to dismiss the lawsuit if Chicopee promised to share the proceeds of any sale of the property.
About six acres is set aside for the senior center, and the city hopes to market the remaining property, about 10 acres. Possible uses discussed are elderly housing and small stores.
Because of the enormous costs of cleaning the site, tearing down the buildings and security, Bissonnette said he cannot believe there will be any profits from marketing the property.
Estimates show it will cost at least $20 million to clean up both the Facemate and neighboring Uniroyal properties, which were also owned by Mrozinski.
Stipulation for Settlement Agreement as Filed in Registry of Deeds