The Warren Sentinel

Article date: May 19. 2005

 Avtex powerhouse coming down on Sept. 19

EDA unveils Royal phoenix redevelopment plans

By Roger Bianchini

Out with the old and in with the new was the major theme of Saturday’s Royal Phoenix/Avtex Open House.

In dealing with the old the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, announced a demolition date of Sept. 19 for the lone remaining major structure at the Avtex site – the old boiler house power plant.  That announcement signals a symbolic end of an era, as well as a major step in the cleanup phase of the Superfund project.

In looking to the future Saturday the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority officially unveiled its redevelopment and marketing plans for the site.

Marking the contrasting themes was the presence of former employees of the sprawling synthetic fibers plant, once the community’s major employer and economic engine, and Warren County High School students too young to remember the site’s impact, both good and bad, on the community and region it once provided with over 3,000 jobs.

In addition to representatives of the community’s past and present workforces and local government, representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , which is the lead agency managing the Avtex Fibers Superfund cleanup site, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), several political figures and FMC Corporation joined the Corps and the EDA to celebrate this pivotal point in the site’s history.

 Past

 The rayon and synthetic fibers manufacturing plant was constructed in the late 1930's with operations beginning in 1940. Before its 1989 closing by the state for continued pollution violations it was a major contributor to not only commercial industry, but also to the defense and space industries.

From 1940 through 1962, American Viscose, Inc.  owned the facility.  During World War II the plant was one of the largest contributors of synthetic materials used in tires, parachutes and other war materials by allied forces.

FMC Corporation took ownership of the plant from 1963 to 1976, when Avtex Fibers, Inc.  purchased the site.  Avtex continued to manufacture lightweight, synthetic fibers such as rayon, polyester and polypropylene until 1989.  For a time during it’s final years the plant was the sole supplier of some synthetic materials used in NASA’s space shuttle program.

Avtex was declared an EPA Superfund site in 1986 but survived until 1989 when the state finally closed it down for ongoing state water control board violations.

FMC, as sole surviving former site owner, is a mandated cleanup partner with the EPA and state authorities.  The ongoing Army Corps work began in 2000 and is separate from the Superfund site cleanup efforts, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).  The Corps determined that the Powerhouse demolition would be its final clean-up phase.

Eventually over two million square feet of buildings will have been demolished in preparation for redevelopment at the site.

 Present

 “The Army Corps wanted to ensure that all appropriate safeguards, such as air monitoring, were in place before the September implosion of the huge boiler house to protect site workers and the community of Front Royal,” said Corps Project Manager Al Opstal.  “Also, we wanted to thoroughly examine all environmental actions required for successfully imploding a structure of the size.”

“Once the final Powerhouse complex building is demolished and its materials properly dispose of or recycled as with the previous structures, and cleanup by FMC is finished and approved by the EPA, the EDA can move forward and integrate that portion of the site into its Royal Phoenix development,” said EDA Executive Director, Paul J. Carroll.

 And future...

The EDA is working with New York - based North American Realty Advisory Services to promote redevelopment of the 160-acre business park in the directions of business technology, hospitality services, culinary education and a Virginia wine and arts center.  North American forecasts the potential of over 900 jobs being generated at the site.

“Royal Phoenix represents an excellent example of how a community, burdened with a Superfund site, can overcome obstacles and work towards enhancing Virginia’s future,” Governor Mark Warner said in a May 4 press release.  “We are very exited about Royal Phoenix’s ability to attract innovative technologies, a well as new hospitality and tourism opportunities to the Commonwealth.”

“The Royal Phoenix Development project at the Avtex Fibers Superfund site is a significant success story that benefits Virginia’s environment and the economy of the northern Shenandoah Valley,” VDEQ Director Robert G. Burnley added.  “The sustainable development practices incorporated into the reuse of the site show a commitment to enhanced environmental stewardship that will be an excellent example for future project like this throughout Virginia.”

“Our goal is to make Royal Phoenix part of the global economy and encourage young professionals, especially from our community, to seek their future here at Royal Phoenix while also making Warren County and the town their home,” Carroll said.

Carroll, who succeeded Stephen Heavener as EDA executive director last year, said he is currently meeting with potential investors in the site.  “We hope to have a qualified investor/developer on board in less than one year,” Carroll said Saturday.