Article date: March 17, 2000

Officials seek more funding for Avtex

Wolf asked to secure additional $6 million for demolition work

By Richard Nash

The Warren County Board of Supervisors and the Front Royal Town Council have asked Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10th, to help secure an additional $6 million in federal funding for building demolition at the Avtex Fibers Superfund site on Kendrick Lane.

Economic Development Authority Director Stephen A. Heavener said the authority’s board of directors asked the two government bodies to request Wolf’s help in an attempt to avoid a possible funding gap in the Avtex redevelopment project.

Wolf, along with Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and Sen, Charles Robb, D-Va., were instrumental in obtaining $6 million in federal funds for Avtex redevelopment last year, he said.

Those funds will pay for nearly all of the demolition work and asbestos abatement now underway at the Avtex site, but will not cover the demolition of the former rayon plant’s powerhouse, he said.

Officials estimate that it will cost another $6 million to demolish the powerhouse alone, because it is a more complex structure that other Avtex buildings, he said.

"We were very lucky that our legislators were able to secure so much funding for the demolition work last year," Heavener said. "That funding is going to allow us to have every building, except for the powerhouse, demolished by the end of the year. Unfortunately, the powerhouse is a bigger job and it’s going to take a lot more money to take care of it."

Heavener said he is afraid that a gap in financing will be a major setback in the Avtex redevelopment, putting the powerhouse demolition off indefinitely and hurting the authority’s chances of recruiting quality businesses and industries to locate to the business park it has planned for the site.

"We’ve got great momentum going now," he said. "We don’t want to lose it because of a funding gap. Once a project like this stops, it’s very difficult to get it up and going again."

Heavener said the authority has asked Robb and Warner to join Wolf in securing additional federal funds for the project.

Wolf said he has reviewed the county’s request for further assistance and will do whatever he can to help, but the federal budget may present less opportunity this year to secure Avtex funding than it did last year.

" I’ve been happy to help with Avtex funding in the past and I’ll be happy to try and help now," Wolf said. "You never want to make predictions with something like this though. The budget is very, very tight this year. We’re going to have to take it as we can and do what we can."

Wolf said he is pleased with the way the Avtex project has progressed up to this point.

The project is important to the county in term of both economic development and environmental safety, he said.

" I think the program is good," Wolf said. " It’s important to the county to get that area cleaned up as soon as we can. I’ve been able to work with John Warner to secure some funding already and I’ll continue to do that. In politics, though, I think it’s better to say what you’ve already done than what you’re planning on doing."

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