By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH, Ind. – The City of Wabash is still in negotiations with Luckett & Farley, a Louisville, Ky., developer to clean up the site, Mayor Scott Long told The Paper of Wabash County.
The city, he said, has sought a Fort Wayne real estate attorney to help it negotiate the contract with Luckett & Farley.
“I anticipate this being completed in the first half of 2019 with some work to take place immediately after the contract is finalized and signed.
Long first broached cleaning the site, located at 1 General St., in August 2018 during budget hearings with the Wabash City Council. Once cleaned, the site could be turned into a new housing addition.
The city has budgeted $250,000 from its Rainy Day Fund and another $250,000 from its CEDIT Brownfield Fund for the project.
In October 2007, GDX officials announced they were closing the plant near the end of November 2007, leaving more than 600 people without work. One General Street LLC eventually purchased the site, razing it in August 2010. One General Street is still the deeded property owner.
In November 2010, Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials announced that traces of trichloroethylene were found in testing spots near the former building. IDEM officials began pursuing five former owners of the site – Continental Auto, Hennings Automotive, One General Street LLC, GenCorp Inc. and Cerberus Capital Management – to help clean up the site.
Aerojet Rocketdyne – formerly GenCorp Automotive – is reportedly taking responsibility for the cleanup of the underground contamination at the site.
In addition, the city levied fines of more than $900,000 against One General Street officials for violating various city ordinances and regulations.
On Aug. 16, 2018, the Wabash Board of Public Works and Safety approved a Development Services Agreement for the site between the city and Luckett & Farley.
On Aug. 27, Tim Pitcher, Luckett & Farley president of development, outlined plans for the site at a City Council meeting. The council also received preliminary copies of an agreement between the city and the firm.
Once started, the multi-phased project is expected to take several years to complete. The brownfield cleanup itself, Long told the council at the budget hearing, could take upwards of 2 ½ years to complete.
“The idea,” Pitcher told the council, is to get it to a place where it can be developed and then ultimately, hopefully partner together for that development of a residential community to put a very positive thing in Wabash and replacing something that’s kind of a mess right now.”