SRDC acquired the former Parks & Woolson property in Springfield in 2023. Since then, the site has been the subject of ongoing environmental assessment in partnership with the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC) and has been identified as a “Brownfield”.
The environmental assessment of the site has continued, most recently with a Supplemental Phase II which was completed this May. The assessment report provided further details about the various contaminants on the site, located in areas from building materials to subsurface soil and including PCB’s, PAH’s, soil gas, lead and asbestos. There was also a limited structural assessment of the building which revealed significant concerns.
The next step in this process is the development of an ECAA (Evaluation of Corrective Action Alternatives) – basically what can stay/what needs to go/the feasibility of various options. The work plan for the ECAA (and recommended additional soil assessment) has been submitted to DEC (VT Department of Environmental Conservation) and the TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) area of EPA and is awaiting approval, as well as finalization of funding. The ECAA process will also incorporate a full structural assessment of the building.
The results of the ECAA will determine the direction for the development of a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for the site and will include recommendation for the cleanup of the property, including what, if any, of the existing building can remain for redevelopment. If it can be redeveloped, in some form, we will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for potential purchasers/developers in conjunction with the submission of the Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Among other things, this will require a development partner to continue enrollment in the state’s BRELLA program, to ensure cooperation with the cleanup of the site.
We expect the ECAA report to be ready in early 2026 and hope for a CAP to be completed next year as well, if approvals stay on track.
The former Parks & Woolson facility is one of Springfield’s most historic manufacturing facilities and is an iconic building, along the Black River. While it’s too early to tell, we hope it can have a 2nd life as part of our community’s downtown.