Plans Introduced to Cleanup and Redevelop the Contaminated Rockwell Site

By Doug Marrin

Chelsea City Council received an update on the Rockwell Building Redevelopment Project at its April 5, 2021 meeting.

Dave Van Haaren of Triterra, a brownfield and environmental consulting firm based in Lansing, was in attendance to introduce the much-anticipated development that will address the contaminated former manufacturing site.

“We're excited to be involved in the City of Chelsea, and we think this is going to be a great project,” Haaren told the Council. “It's going to increase the foot traffic for the downtown, and it's going to be a great amenity to the City.”

Located in the Chelsea Commercial Historic District (The Clocktower Plaza), the Rockwell Building was historically used for industrial purposes. From 1909 to 1987, the manufacturing plant produced stove and automobile components. It is assumed that these manufacturing activities are the cause of significant environmental contamination on the site.

The 43,752 square-foot building and will be completely renovated to include 51 residential units. This is a rehabilitation project that will consist of new utilities, elevators, windows, doors, flooring, and roofing. Building concrete and masonry will also be repaired with new construction materials, but the historic character of the building will be maintained.

The 51 apartments will consist of 20 studio, 22 one-bedroom, and 9 two-bedroom units. Furnishings will include a washer, dryer, and dishwasher. Appliances will be stainless steel, and countertops will be quartz. Other amenities include common areas, keyless entry, indoor bike storage, and a dog run.

Triterra hopes to begin construction in the Fall of 2021, with completion in the Fall of 2022. Their estimated total cost of the development is $9.2 million. Rent has yet to be determined but will be announced with more specific plans at an upcoming public hearing.

“We do have a financial pro forma that we are finishing up right now, and that will be provided prior to the next meeting,” said Haaren.

The difficulty other companies have had in developing the property is the contamination. In urban planning terms, a “brownfield” site is any previously developed land not currently used, which may be contaminated. The term also describes former industrial sites with known pollution, including soil contamination due to hazardous waste, such as the Rockwell Building.

“This site qualifies as a brownfield due to an environmental contamination on the property,” commented Haaren. “As a result of the historical use of the site, the property has been deemed ‘functionally obsolete’ by the city assessor.”

Triterra reports the presence of asbestos and lead-based paint within the building. Trichloroethylene (TCE), arsenic, and copper have been documented in the soil at concentrations requiring cleanup before further use.

The apartments are in line with Chelsea’s 2019 Master Plan for housing options. Triterra stated in its plan submitted to the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority,

The City of Chelsea’s Master Plan adopted in 2019 stated, “There is a need to provide for a different housing type that will attract young professionals and young families, while retaining empty nesters and the increasing elderly population. All of these demographic groups are seeking a more compact, attached type of housing product in the form of row houses, townhomes, duplexes, fourplexes, or low-rise apartments. These groups also desire a full array of amenities, such as walkability, parks and recreational opportunities, and proximity to areas with commercial and entertainment uses. Chelsea participated in a Target Market Analysis, completed in October 2015, which identified a number of target markets, or demographic groups, that might potentially move to Chelsea if the appropriate housing stock was available. Generally, the study identified the potential for these groups to absorb 250 to 675 new moderate to upscale housing units over the next five years.” The Rockwell Building Redevelopment Project addresses the needs expressed in this report and very few units have been provided to meet the demand.

“We're happy to be involved with the City working towards getting this project done, removing some blight that's been there for a long time, and making it into a beautiful asset to the community,” summarized Haaren.

The City Council later set a Public Hearing for April 19 to learn more details and give its feedback on the Rockwell project.

Photo credits: Triterra