SWCRPC receives $200,000 grant for Bryant Grinder building cleanup

SWCRPC receives $200,000 grant for Bryant Grinder building clean up.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130702/NEWS02/707029925

Published July 2, 2013 in the Rutland Herald SWCRPC receives $200,000 grant for Bryant Grinder building cleanup By Christian Avard Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield landmark is one step closer to becoming suitable for reuse. Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission received a $200,000 assessment grant June 18 from the Environmental Protection Agency. The grant will pay for an environmental assessment to be conducted at the former site of the Bryant Grinder Company in Springfield. The building, which has not been in use for more than 10 years, was identified as an EPA brownfield site, where environmental contamination exists. The end goal, according to Dan Potter of the SWCRPC, is to develop a remediation plan and clean up the site for redevelopment purposes. “We hope to return these sites to productive use so they benefit the town of Springfield again. It’s a huge help to the town,” Potter said. The SWCRPC has completed the first of two phases toward Bryant Grinder building rehabilitation efforts. The $200,000 award will cover the second phase of the project. In the first phase, SWCRPC collected background information and historical records, conducted site inspections and fulfilled requirements according to American Society for Testing and Materials standards. The second phase will consist of soil and groundwater sampling, ecological assessments and an EPA Quality Assurance Project Plan. Potter did not say how long it will take to complete the phase two process. The Bryant Grinder building is approximately 200,000 square feet and SWCRPC will need to a do a thorough inspection to make it reusable for use. The rehabilitation of the Bryant Grinder building is one of several efforts to bring Springfield’s historic factory buildings back to life. The Fellows Gear Shaper Building was also identified as a brownfield project where contaminates were removed from the site. The Fellows Gear Shaper Building, once the site of a prosperous machine tool company, underwent a $13 million transformation. It is now the home of Springfield Hospital medical offices, The Great Hall art gallery and local businesses. Bob Flint, executive director of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation, said the recent award to the SWCRPC was welcome news to rehabilitation efforts for the Bryant Grinder building. The money will not only bring a historic building back to life, but it will also improve the area’s economic viability, he said. “There’s a lot more to go, but this grant will help us move on to the next stage more quickly. It’s an invaluable resource,” Flint said.