Demolition of former Charlestown Mall in Utica begins

UTICA, N.Y. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is demolishing the former Charlestown Mall site located on the border of the Utica and the town of Frankfort, Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri announced.

Work, originally scheduled to begin last fall but postponed, finally began June 1.

As part of the demolition, the EPA will decontaminate recyclable building materials and dispose of asbestos and asbestos-containing debris. The EPA is also monitoring the air under a community air-monitoring plan and will evaluate and properly dispose of hazardous materials found on site during the demolition process.

“EPA is taking this action to ensure we address any potential risk to people or the environment from the asbestos at the site,” Terry Kish, EPA on-scene coordinator, said in a news release. “We recognize that this is an important step for these communities as they work toward getting the site on track for productive reuse.”

Vacant for many years, the building was damaged during an August 2020 fire that took multiple fire departments two days to extinguish. Following the fire, the city partnered with local, state, and federal representatives to advocate for assistance. In September 2020, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) formally requested that the EPA assess the site, and the EPA installed a chain-link fence around the site that fall.

Located at 311 Turner St. in Utica and 2205 Bleecker St. in Frankfort, the Savage Arms Company built the former manufacturing facility in the late 1890s, according to the EPA site report. Savage Arms sold the building to Sperry Univac in the 1950s. In 1976, the building was partially redeveloped into an outlet complex commonly known as the Charlestown Mall. The mall closed in the early 1990s and the building was revived for a short time in the early 2000s as a business complex.

According to the EPA, buildings were not properly maintained and deteriorated significantly.

In 2011, the EPA removed almost 16,000 tons of asbestos-containing debris, polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated debris and soil, and drums containing ignitable, corrosive, and toxic liquids after unpermitted demolition in 2008 released asbestos into the environment.

Mayor Palmieri praised the current demolition work on the site, which will promote public safety and also enhance quality of life for area residents.

“This is a great example of how everyone working together can yield positive results for those we serve,” he said.

“This site has been a safety concern for many years, which was highlighted by the August 2020 fire,” Frankfort Town Supervisor Glenn D. Asnoe said. “To finally see the site being remediated is a welcome relief.”