New York Project Notes

Ground Broken on Buffalo Brownfield

Ground was broken in July on the largest office facility to be built in Buffalo, New York. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York will use the historic downtown site as its new corporate headquarters and operations center, moving more than 1,300 jobs to downtown Buffalo. The new facility is expected to have an economic impact of $1.9 billion annually when completed.

Once completed in August 2007, the new facility will consist of approximately 450,000 square feet of space. Duke Realty Corporation is developing the $86.3 million project.

“This is a complex project that encompasses brownfield remediation and the integration of an historic landmark into a new building that truly creates an inspiring overall design. Combined with the building’s sheer size, Duke Realty is incredibly excited to be involved in this landmark development project,” said Denny Oklak, Duke’s chairman and chief executive officer.

Much of Buffalo’s historical architectural character has been incorporated into the design features, including the landmark 1848 stone façade of the original Gas Works facility on the site.

Sustainable features will include the development of an urban brownfield site, an extensive southern glass curtain wall with sunscreens and light shelves for day lighting and views, energy efficient systems and the use of “green” building materials and construction.

The selection and redevelopment of the brownfield site was a collaborative effort of the public and private sectors with Blue Cross Blue Shield receiving assistance from the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, the City of Buffalo, and New York State.

Staten Island Remediation Complete

Site remediation for the Ardenwood Estates property in Staten Island, New York, a former privately owned, non-engineered, and unregulated drum and waste storage disposal site, has been completed. TerraSure Development LLC, a guaranteed fixed-price remediation (GFPR) service company, performed the work.

More than 900 drums containing a wide variety of chemical compounds in the form of liquids and sludge material had been removed from the Ardenwood Estates property by contractors from the New York State DEC more than 10 years ago. The property was subsequently added to NYSDEC’s registry of inactive hazardous waste sites. Until recently, the site had remained vacant.

Because the site is located in a densely populated residential community, it was a priority to work with members of the community to address their concerns and provide assurance that the work was being performed in a safe manner. TerraSure completed the project in one year and the NYSDEC issued a “No Further Action” letter in June 2004 stating that the project is complete and “no further remediation or groundwater monitoring is required.”

The Equitable Group, a Chicago real estate development firm, plans to turn the land into a multi-family residential development complex. Design and planning have begun on the Ardenwood Estates complex, with construction to be completed in two years.

State Funding Awarded for Brocton Cleanup

Chautauqua County has secured $783,000 in state funding for the remediation of contaminated land at the former Welch Foods site in Brocton, New York. TVGA Consultants has conducted the remedial investigation of the 2.4-acre wine cellar and grape juice processing facility.

Abandoned for more than 15 years, the Brocton site is one of three high-priority brownfield redevelopment projects supported by the Chautauqua County Brownfield Redevelopment Program. Contaminants at the site include asbestos and PCBs, in addition to contamination of facility drains and subsurface soils. The second phase of project planning and cleanup of the site, which will include the excavation and the disposal of contaminated fill material and soil, and the off-site disposal of the building drainage system and its contents, is currently under way.

TVGA is working in conjunction with Chautauqua County and the Village of Brocton to address concerns hindering the reuse of the brownfield site and safeguarding public health, while carrying out remediation efforts.

Improvements and redevelopment of the site are expected to revitalize the main corridor, bringing both a positive physical and economic effect to Brocton’s central business district. Remediation of the site is expected to be completed by the end of the year. BFN

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