CHELSEA: Demolition starts at Federal Screw Works

By Kathleen Murphy kmurphy@heritage.com Twitter: @kathleeneditor

Demolition is underway at the old Federal Screw Works building on Main Street in Chelsea.

Workers from C&I Dismantling of Mt. Clemens are removing asbestos this week and will start tearing down the structure next week. A state grant helped pay for pollution clean up at the site, said John Evans of Swisher Commercial Real Estate in Ann Arbor.

Evans said the demolition process on the two or three acre site should take around three weeks. Contaminated dirt has to be removed from the site with clean dirt being brought as replacement fill. When it is complete and the site is cleaned up and leveled sometime in January, Evans said it will be offered for sale, possibly by February or March.

Interest in the site has been expressed by various businesses. Evans said the prime Main Street location across from the hospital and near the downtown makes it a good location for a bank or even a health-related building connected to the hospital. "There's not a lot for sale near the downtown," Evans said.

Originally known as the Chelsea Screw Co., the Federal Screw Works building is now owned by the Papo's Magellan Properties of Ann Arbor. Papo's father was a founder of the Chelsea Community Hospital.

The demolition of the Federal Screw Works building is a long time coming, held up by the pollution on the site. Evans said some people wanted the building saved for the historical value. "You can't save something that is polluted," he said. "No one would by it."

Replacing the old factory with new construction is the right thing to, Evans said. "It's an eyesore. You can't save everything," he said. "It's an old dirty building."

Workers from C&I Dismantling of Mt. Clemens are removing asbestos this week and will start tearing down the structure next week. A state grant helped pay for pollution clean up at the site, said John Evans of Swisher Commercial Real Estate in Ann Arbor.

Go here to see the original:
CHELSEA: Demolition starts at Federal Screw Works