Fellows renovation underway

The former Fellows Gear Shaper complex, which was built more than 100 years ago and for the past 25 years has struggled in a second life as an industrial incubator, is headed for a third incarnation.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110411/NEWS02/704119935

Published April 11, 2011 in the Rutland Herald

Fellows renovation underway

By SUSAN SMALLHEER

SPRINGFIELD — A sprawling old factory building on the banks of the Black River, where once hundreds of men and women made world-famous machines for close to 100 years, is getting a massive overhaul.

The former Fellows Gear Shaper complex, which was built more than 100 years ago and for the past 25 years has struggled in a second life as an industrial incubator, is headed for a third incarnation.

A total of upwards of $13 million is being spent to renovate the building, said Bob Flint, the executive director of Springfield Regional Development Corp., who has worked closely with the new owners, 100 River Street LLC.

After years of slow progress cleaning up the industrial contamination at the former machine tool manufacturer, work is about to explode, as Springfield Medical Care Systems is spending $5 million renovate the space to house three medical practices.

Mark Blanchard of Springfield Medical Care Systems, the parent organization of Springfield Hospital, said that a small construction crew is currently working on the site, but that staffing and reconstruction are about to increase now that spring has finally arrived.

Gov. Peter Shumlin, took a tour of the construction site recently. The project is being aided by a combination of state and federal grants and tax incentives, as well as so called brownfields grants to clean up the contamination.

Shumlin bantered with the construction crew of the value of restoring the 1917 windows in the main office section of the building.

Shumlin, a Putney businessman before being elected governor, said he had debated with state historic preservationists over windows in one of his own projects, and lost.

“In the end, they were right,” he told John Meacham, one of the principals of 100 River Street LLC.

“It’s an exciting project,” said Shumlin as he was shown the third floor, where Fellows’ drafting department once worked and more recently a large bingo hall operated.

This fall, according to Blanchard, Springfield family practitioners and pediatricians will see patients.

“We hope to occupy this in the fall,” he said.

“This is impressive, this is really impressive,” said Shumlin, who noted that Springfield had several important revitalization projects going on currently, including rebuilding the Ellis Block and contamination cleanup at the former Jones & Lamson Machine Co.

Blanchard said that a new bridge would be built over the Black River to replace the decaying existing one. He said historic preservation concerns dictated that a similar steel truss-style bridge be built.

He said that staff of Springfield Medical Group would park along River Street, and use the bridge to get to work. Covered parking for patients and other tenants of the building is being built on the Pearl Street side of the building, involving some of the building’s old structure.

Blanchard is overseeing the construction of 32,000 square feet of medical offices, which is about a sixth of the total space in the complex.

Flint said the building’s developers want to attract at least one restaurant to the complex, and he said the building can also house everything from retail to light industrial.

There is 160,000 square feet in the entire complex, Flint said.

“They are talking to other potential tenants,” he said.

H.P. Cummings of Woodsville, N.H., is the general contractor for the project for the medical group, Blanchard said.

“It’s a very challenging site,” he said, referring to the environmental cleanup.