Demolition of former Five Corners strip mall underway | therecorder – The Daily Gazette

It was very exciting to see it finally coming down, Cinquanti said. It's a milestone weve accomplished.

Contractors hired by the city for up to $304,500 to perform the grant-funded demolition reduced the westernmost corner to rubble within about 20 minutes of starting the operation. Officials estimate site work could be complete within as little as two weeks depending on the weather.

The building and stone slab it stands on will be knocked down before all debris is hauled from the property for proper disposal. The site will subsequently be covered with six inches of sand.

Christopher Carpenter, a neighborhood resident and 4th Ward alderman-elect, said removing the blighted building at one of the main entryways to the city marks a turning point for the area.

Thousands of people drive in and out of our city along Church Street daily and that dilapidated plaza is one of the eyesores they see. I want their impression of our city to be more than what's there now, Carpenter said.

City officials agree removing the crumbling building that was abandoned over a decade ago will immediately improve the appearance of the highly visible property.

It's a huge step just getting it down, cleaning up the site and leveling it out, Cinquanti said. It's going to be a positive thing for our city and for the neighborhood.

Demolition was originally expected to be completed last month, but the project faced a brief bureaucratic delay.

To proceed, the city was awaiting final review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of environmental testing conducted at the site. The unexpected death of the assigned federal staffer prevented the review from being completed by the statutory 30 day deadline on Oct. 26.

Conducting the demolition without authorization from the EPA could have jeopardized the $2 million Restore New York Communities Initiative grant awarded to the city for the project roughly one year ago.

The city worked with the state to proceed with the work as an emergency demolition of an unsafe structure without risking the grant funds. Cinquanti added final steps with the EPA will be completed in the coming days, enabling Amsterdam to take full title to the property.

Getting it down is one thing, now weve got to develop it, Cinquanti said.

Following the demolition, the city is expected to launch full marketing efforts seeking developers interested in the site. Previously conducted environmental testing will inform developers of any contaminants identified at the site requiring remediation as part of redevelopment plans.

It's going to be an ongoing process, Cinquanti said. We do have interest from a number of different developers.

The former strip mall was built on top of Kellogg Pond after it was used as an open pit landfill from the 1930s to the 1960s. Lumber ash, brick, household waste and sheens and odors from petroleum were among the materials previously discovered during site testing.

Asbestos and lead paint were also confirmed to be present in the building. All demolition debris will be disposed of in compliance with state and federal standards based on the known presence of the hazardous materials.

It's an amazing start to a new beginning for the 4th Ward. It shows progress and an opportunity for neighborhood revitalization, Carpenter said. The memories will always be there, but so looking forward to what's next.

Since the demolition contract cost much less than anticipated, Cinquanti said the city is seeking authorization from Empire State Development to use the nearly $1.7 million that will be leftover from the grant toward additional studies or remediation projects at the site. He said preliminary discussions have been positive.

Were looking forward to what the future brings to that site. It's been an eyesore for too long and I'm thrilled we were able to get it down, Cinquanti said. Were hoping there is a really positive ending to this story.

Watch the demolition video below:

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Demolition of former Five Corners strip mall underway | therecorder - The Daily Gazette