Chicopee Council approves funding to clean up remaining buildings at Uniroyal
Updated 5:25 AM;
Today 5:25 AM
11/16/2020 -Chicopee- A view of the former Uniroyal plant West Main and Oak Streets. (Don Treeger / The Republican)
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CHICOPEE A project to complete the cleanup of the old Uniroyal factory campus will move forward with an infusion of $870,000 from the City Council.
“We are getting closer and closer to redeveloping Uniroyal-Facemate, which is really exciting for the city of Chicopee,” Mayor John L. Vieau said.
In July 2019 the City Council approved a $2 million bond to clean asbestos and other hazardous waste from the remaining larger buildings at Uniroyal and to clean and raze the former power plant, which is the most contaminated building on the 72-acre property.
Chicopee City Hall auditorium restored, open for public meetings for the first time since 2003
Updated Mar 10, 2021;
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CHICOPEE – For the first time in many years the City Hall’s auditorium was open for business after a renovation corrected structural problems and allowed it to be turned into a meeting space complete with high-tech audio and video equipment.
The newly-renovated auditorium was first seen last week when the City Council held its regularly-scheduled meeting in the room on Tuesday. The School Committee followed on Wednesday and the equipment will allow all boards and commissions to broadcast their meetings with just the flick of a switch.
Chicopee City Council agrees to 2nd phase of City Hall renovations
Updated Feb 01, 2021;
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CHICOPEE – City Councilors overwhelmingly agreed they are interested in moving forward with a second phase to rehabilitate City Hall as construction on the crucial first phase comes to a close.
While the about $14.2 million first phase of the project focused on shoring up the tower and most of the exterior stone and brickwork that was crumbling, repairing the slate roof, replacing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, installing new windows and renovating the auditorium, the second phase of the project would focus on less crucial areas of the building.
Chicopee working to build a Post-9/11 Memorial Park to honor veterans and offer 1st dog park
Updated Jan 27, 2021;
Posted Jan 27, 2021
This is a drawing of the preliminary design of the planned Western Massachusetts Post-9/11 and Service Dog Memorial Park. (City of Chicopee illustration)
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CHICOPEE – The city is preparing to create a new park that will celebrate and memorialize those who served in the military and after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and recognize service dogs on seven acres of land that once was part of Westover Air Reserve Base.
The triangle-shaped parcel located between Westover Road, Honeysuckle Drive and Lynnwood Drive, has been used by the neighborhood for years and already has walking paths through it. City officials are hoping now to create a memorial park that will include two off-leash dog parks, a playground and an overlook with a monument.
Chicopee zone change requested to create new industrial park near state park
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
CHICOPEE – A development corporation that has built two industrial parks in the city is proposing to create a third one on about 90 acres located off Sheridan Street and next to Chicopee State Park.
The proposal from the Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation is being opposed by multiple residents of Slate Road and Nawrocki Drive who called the plan a “horrible idea” that would destroy forested land that is used often for recreation and create more traffic on the already-busy Sheridan Street.
The non-profit corporation, which also operates Air Park West and Air Park North in Chicopee and Air Park East in Ludlow, purchased 57.4 acres from the city in 2009 for $1.45 million. That will be joined with about 30 acres that was purchased from the Tarnow Nursery property off Sheridan Street after the company closed in 2015, said Michael Bolton, president and chief executive of