All the WaterÕs Edge: artifacts of industry
By Taryn Plumb
Turley Publications Correspondent
tplumb@turley.com
They hunker right at the water's edge: Giant, hulking artifacts of industry.
Scattered along the Ware River's banks, these imposing factories of brick with their protrusion of standpipes and chimneys stand like sentinels over the waterway's coursing flow, its protectors, as days tumble over days, decades over decades.
These days, a handful of old mill buildings remain standing along the Ware River's snaking length. And over the years, they have seen a revolving array of businesses take up residence within their halls Ð from manufacturers to retailers to trade shops to everyday businesses that just preferred the airy office space.
Today, this cycle continues, as the 21st century unfolds and towns and businesses turn toward the towering structures as sources of commerce and renewed epicenters of activity.
This has been most pronounced in Ware, where a bevy of rectangular brick buildings, arranged carefully around the river like Legos, pull visitor's eyes as they round the bend into town center. Now known as the Òmillyard,Ó the town took an extensive look at this privately-owned property in the 1990s, and determined that a wide range of industrial uses were allowed within, per a special permit from the planning board and site plan approval, according to Paul Hills, Ware's community development director.
Today, the site comprises of around 20 buildings spread out over 30 acres on both sides of the river.
Within it, there are an array of active businesses, including manufacturers Quabbin Wire & Cable Co., Inc., and American Disposables, Inc.,; Country Bank, meanwhile, is revamping a building on South Street; then, a little ways up on East Main Street, there's a fitness factory, a pet food outlet, a veterinary clinic and some apartments, and a granite stone mill building is home to Berkshire Blanket.
The site is well-used, Hills said. ÒThe existing buildings that are in good condition are occupied,Ó he explained. Others, though, are deteriorated and should either be improved or removed, he said. Additionally, there is some open space for new construction.
ÒWe would love to see more industry,Ó said Hills. ÒWe certainly need those jobs to revitalize the town economy, and bring new business to our main street, where there's currently quite a bit of vacant space.Ó
Meanwhile, upstream in Barre, the former Barre Wool Company compound is largely under the ownership of Phoenix Plaza Corporation. Running along Main and Vernon streets, the complex comprises of three buildings totaling roughly 500,000 square feet, according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Barre Wool Combing Company operated at this site from the 1900s through the 1960s, and at some time prior to 1969, Ivy Enterprises purchased it and continued on-site operations until 1979, according to the EPA report.
Also staggered along the river's lengths are several functioning hydropower plants Ð nine between Ware and the Connecticut River, as estimated by Lucas Wright, co-owner of Ware River Power, Inc. His company operates four dams on its namesake river. Another enterprise, Energy Thorndike, operates dams in Palmer.
ÒIt's a very industrious river,Ó said Wright, noting how the waterway compliments industrial and hydropower pursuits with its natural, 73-foot drop throughout Ware.
Upstream Hardwick, for its part, is also looking to the river for enterprise: Officials are exploring a range of redevelopment opportunities for a vacant, privately-owned mill on North Street.
ÒIt's in good condition, but empty,Ó said Lucinda Childs, who sits on the town's master plan implementation committee.
The process is in its ÒinfancyÓ stages, she stressed; roughly 50 people recently toured the mill and followed that up with a meeting to talk about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. ÒPeople are very enthusiastic,Ó said Childs. ÒThey want to see the mill redeveloped.Ó
One option is to use the building for the town's municipal offices, Childs said. The current municipal offices don't cut it, she said Ð they're just not energy efficient enough for the 21st century. In addition, one of the town's libraries, Paige Memorial, looking into adding on to its current building or scoping an alternate site, which could include the mill.
But there are challenges. Childs noted that there is no money specifically set aside for such an endeavor on the town's part. It could, however, fall under the auspices of the Community Preservation Act Ð which adds a percentage surcharge to property taxes to raise funds for affordable housing, open space, recreation and historical preservation Ð which has been brought to the town for vote in the past but failed.
Ware has experienced similar roadblocks. There's not much the town can provide as an incentive for businesses or manufacturers beyond Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreements, which essentially give a company annual tax breaks that decrease over time, Hills explained. In certain circumstances, the town can also offer small business revolving loan programs, which are available to companies that can't obtain finances through banks or other conventional means.
Another challenge: Some types of industries might have trouble locating in the millyard because there are residences and other businesses close by. As a result, the said, Ware might want to consider rezoning other areas of town for industry.
In the meantime, ÒWe do what we can to help with business development,Ó Hills said.