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IDA seeks state and EPA support to evaluate Remington and Huntington Arms sites
Summary
The board approved contracts and resolutions to pursue state and federal funding for remediation and site evaluation at Huntington Arms and the Remington facility, including a cultural resource survey, a $200,000 Empire State Development RFP fund with a small local match, and EPA-funded interior sampling of structures.
Speaker 1 told the board the agency is moving to advance planning, environmental testing and market analysis at the Huntington Arms property and the adjacent Remington site. The board authorized a small cultural-resource survey and voted to support additional state and EPA assessments to speed cleanup and reuse planning.
Why it matters: the properties are central to a broader redevelopment and industrial opportunity. Board members said a rapid technical and market analysis will help determine whether historic-preservation alternatives or targeted demolition are appropriate and what cleanup steps the EPA and state should fund.
What the board approved and discussed: Speaker 1 described two near-term steps. First, the board approved hiring a cultural-resource consultant to survey Huntington Arms, document historic elements and prepare justifications for either preservation alternatives (interpretive kiosks/panels) or removal. The contract discussed was corrected in the meeting to $3,670 and the board moved and approved the engagement.
Second, Speaker 1 said Empire State Development has set aside $200,000 to fund an RFP for a national commercial real-estate firm to do an in-depth site evaluation of Remington; the board discussed a required local match (the grant requires either a 10% or 20% match) and directed staff to negotiate the lowest reasonable match. Speaker 1 said the agency would move quickly to issue an RFP with Empire State Development’s assistance.
Third, Speaker 1 reported the EPA agreed to provide contractor support to perform interior sampling at Remington. The work described includes roughly 50 test borings or sample holes conducted inside building bays and floor areas to assess possible contamination (two shallow samples per location, roughly 8–15 feet). The owner has granted access for sampling. The board voted to support the EPA assessment and to adopt a resolution showing the agency’s support for the EPA-contracted work.
Quotes: Speaker 1 said the EPA-contracted team would “drill a bunch of test holes inside the structures” and noted “we should have an answer and a schedule and a timeline.” Speaker 1 also said the state RFP money would allow a deep-dive evaluation beyond the EPA’s initial assessment.
Next steps: Staff will finalize the cultural-survey contract, work with Empire State Development on the $200,000 RFP and coordinate scheduling and access for the EPA sampling. The board asked staff to report back with procurement documents and any matching-fund obligations for a subsequent vote.
