PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After two decades of concern for the Mill Street dam, demolition is expected to begin this summer.

 

The dam is being removed for a number of reasons -- public safety, water quality, removing contaminants behind, it and connecting the river for more public use.

 

The dam is attached to the Hawthorne Mill Building, which used to house the Tel-Electric Piano Player Co. factory, and had been cited by the Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety as being in hazardous condition nearly 20 years ago.

 

"It's beyond its useful life and it is failing," said Parks and Open Spaces Manager Jim McGrath.

 

Taking down the dam has been eyed for a number of recent years and McGrath said the plan is now in the final permitting process, awaiting just a few more approvals before bidding the project. On Thursday, the state transferred a previously secured grant of $1.5 million to the city for that bidding process, which is expected to start in a couple of weeks.

 

"There are still some additional permits that need to be approved by DEP," McGrath said. 

 

The 18-foot high and 40-foot wide dam is expected to be deconstructed in July or August. The river will essentially be piped around the workside for three to four months as the contractor excavates contaminated soil and then removes the structure.

 

"We targeted the summer because that's when the river is at its lowest flow," McGrath said. 

 

McGrath does not expect there to be any significant impacts to nearby properties during the construction. The project is expected to cost $1.9 million.

 

In 2008, the Division of Ecological Restoration awarded the city $850,000 from the Housatonic River Natural Resource Damage fund. McGrath said after the student and design of the removal, $550,000 remains. In 2015, the division make another award of $981,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program. There is $950,000 of that going toward construction.

 

Those make up the $1.5 million the state transferred on Thursday. Last year, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs released a dam and seawall repair grant to the city of $400,000.

 

The project is the largest aspect of a broad vision city and state officials see for the West Branch of the Housatonic River. There have been a number of projects completed, and others in the cue, to improve the health of the river's eco-system and better interaction with the neighborhoods from Wahconah Park to Clapp Park.

 

McGrath evisions a walk way connecting West Housatonic Street and West Street in the future. Additionally, the area has been known to attract illicit activity and McGrath said the project will help "shine a light" on the area.

 

"The dam has been collecting contaminants for some time and this is an opportunity to get that out of the river," McGrath added.

 

The project will improve the water quality and wildlife habitat in the area.

 

The Nash family owns the dam and McGrath said they've been supportive of the project and has contributed toward the removal by shouldering the cost of some of the permitting fees, studies, and engineering fees.

 

The planning for the removal of the dam was particularly troublesome because of the sentiment and water disbursement that is expected. Engineers had to figure out how to best mitigate that new flow so that it wouldn't impact any nearby infrastructure.