What are the plans for redevelopment of this site? ARC participated in the community planning process a few years ago that developed a conceptual site plan that included public access to the riverfront, greenspace, light commercial development and some housing options. We have had some discussions with Village officials over the future of the site and believe we share a broad vision of the potential use of the site. However, at this time, ARC's immediate priority is the cleanup of the site and ARC is focused on planning the environmental remediation of the property. How can people interested in the future of the riverfront become involved? Hastings-on-Hudson has created a task force called the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) that is visualizing and planning the nature of future re-use and redevelopment of the riverfront. ARC supports this process and is committed to returning this property to productive re-use. ARC supports this planning process and has pledged to work closely with the community to make certain this site is ready to support the type of redevelopment the community wants and deserves. ARC urges residents and other interested parties to become involved in the LWRP process. For more information, go to www.hastingsgov.org. What will be the economic impact of the project on the community?

While ARC has not conducted an economic impact assessment of the project on the local area, any construction project of this size will generate significant revenues to Hastings-on-Hudson and surrounding communities.

Has ARC established the Hastings/Hudson River Environmental Trust Fund as required under the Consent Decree with the Village and the Riverkeeper?

Yes. In May 2004, ARC deposited $1.5 million into the Environmental Trust Fund to be used for river access, open space and other environmental projects, with priority given to projects in Hastings.

What are your plans to communicate with the community? ARC will continue to work cooperatively with the Village and NYSDEC to release important information on a timely basis. ARC also has developed this web site and a periodic newsletter to create a regular means of dialogue with the community through which we can provide information and also respond directly to questions and concerns. ARC will continue to send representatives to community meetings to listen to area residents and engage them in dialogue on issues of concern. When are you going to begin work on cleaning up the river portion of the project? The river portion of the project is known as Operating Unit 2 or OU-2. NYSDEC issued a Proposed Remedy in March 2004 for OU-2 that called for significant dredging in the River. ARC has submitted a technical feasibility study examining the remediation alternatives and recommending an ambitious $44 million dredge and cap project. NYSDEC is expected to select a remedy in the near future. Will river cleanup slow the redevelopment of the riverfront property? ARC's goal is to coordinate remediation on both the riverfront and the river to expedite the process, but the river clean-up project has the potential to have a significant impact on slowing down redevelopment. The more dredging NYSDEC requires, the more likely is that a significant portion of the riverfront will have to serve as a sediment staging area. This has a potential to slow the completion of the remediation work on the riverfront and its redevelopment. That is why it is important for ARC to work closely with NYSDEC to find an acceptable approach to river remediation as soon as possible. What is ARC doing to preserve the historic character of the site? ARC's primary focus is to remediate PCB and other contamination on the site to make it safe for future redevelopment.

In addition to this primary focus, ARC agreed in a consent decree with the Village to study the issue of preservation of several historic structures on site. ARC agreed to assess the overall condition and integrity of the structures, the impact of remediation activities on preservation, the estimated cost of preservation measures and the potential effects of preservation measures on the redevelopment of the site. By sponsoring the Hutton & Associates report and the Domani report, ARC has invested significant resources into fully meeting its obligations under the consent decree.

The consent decree focused on three buildings (the administration building, Building 51 and Building 52) and the water tower. The administration building was severely damaged by fire many years back. For safety reasons, ARC was required to take the building down in fall of 2004.

ARC hired Hutton & Associates, a highly respected architectural firm specializing in historic preservation, to conduct a study of the buildings. A supplemental report was made as further investigations into PCB contamination in and around the buildings were completed. The historic preservation study, conducted by Hutton & Associates, noted that none of the structures warrant historic landmark status, but are good examples of the industrial buildings that once dotted the banks of the Hudson. The study determined that the only way to preserve the water tower would be to carefully take it down, store it for several years during remediation, restore it and then re-erect it at a different location on the riverfront at a cost of just over $500,000. Because of the necessity to remove PCB contamination underneath Building 51 and because of some serious structural issues, much of the building will have to be taken down, but the study suggests that the façade and perhaps the front portion of the building might be preserved. Building 52 fortunately has less PCB contamination and a larger portion of the building could be preserved. Part of the northern section of the building would have to be removed as part of the likely proposed remedy for cleaning up the river. The cost of stabilizing and weather proofing the portions of the remaining portions of the buildings will nearly $2 million.

While the Hutton reported determined that portions of the buildings could be saved at a cost of roughly $2 million, it noted several obstacles. First, the extensive remediation of the site, including excavation six to 12 feet at many portions of the site, will put severe stress on the structural integrity of the buildings. Second, the obligation to raise the grade of the site above the flood plain will raise the ground level up to four feet around parts of the buildings, stressing the buildings and changing their overall appearance. Third, the Village's Local Waterfront Revitalization Project has developed plans that would place the main entrance road to the site right through this building, suggesting that building preservation may conflict with future redevelopment.

What is the timetable for the project? ARC and NYSDEC are working closely on an intensive planning and design process for the environmental remedy. That process is expected to continue through 2007.

The implementation of the remedy will commence and continue into 2010. If the project remains on schedule, One River Street will be ready for redevelopment in 2011.

For more information, see these other sites:

• Village of Hastings Information Center
   
• Hastingsgov.org - Proposed Remedial Action Plans
   
• NY State Department of Environmental Conservation