GLOVERSVILLE – The city will seek bids for the removal of asbestos from buildings at the former Pan American Tannery on West Fulton Street.
The asbestos will be removed before the buildings are demolished, officials said.
Department of Public Works Director Kevin Jones said the city had an environmental consultant conduct a survey. The consultant estimated the cost to have the asbestos removed would be $122,000.
The money for the work was set aside years ago, Finance Commissioner Bruce Van Genderen said.
Jones said after the removal is finished, the city will be able to demolish the buildings and install a soil cap. Jones said the soil cap only will be necessary on the vegetated and exposed soil areas.
The asbestos-removal bids will be accepted until 10 a.m. May 8 in the city clerk’s office at City Hall, 3 Frontage Road.
The bids will be opened that same day at 10:05 a.m.
Jones said the city has been working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Department of Health to make the site available for new development.
Last month, the city rezoned the property at 312 W. Fulton St. from residential to manufacturing.
The change will speed up the cleanup of the site, city officials said.
The site is about 4.8 acres and originally was zoned as manufacturing. The zoning was changed to a residential classification in 2002.
The city wants to use state grant money to pay for the cleanup of the site.
The state grant would pay for the $20,000 cost of completing a study of the property. This would leave $180,000 of grant money left over, but the grant stipulates the city cannot use that money for the actual site cleanup, which would cost $186,000.
City officials said they hope the state will allow the city to use the $180,000 for the cleanup.
Levi Pascher covers Gloversville news. He can be reached at [email protected].
