Brockport's visitor center construction resumes

As soon as the weather cooperates, work will resume at the site of the Brockport canalside museum and visitor center. Mayor Josephine Matela said the village received a resume work order from the Canal Corporation and crews would commence construction when the weather permitted. Work had been halted in late August when tests indicated that excavated soil might be contaminated with petroleum. Vapors were found in soil that had been removed and taken to the Brockport landfill.

Sean Hanna, regional director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said the DEC and the Monroe County Health Department "received and reviewed" the remediation plan that was submitted. "We signed off on the resume work order," he said, but added that, "the DEC will continue to thoroughly investigate all the facts regarding the initial call."

Prior to the initial excavation, the site, a former bean plant and parking lot, had been examined and approved by the DEC and the Monroe County Health Department to ensure that it was suitable for the center. No petroleum vapors had been found under the footprint of the proposed building but both a vapor barrier and a soil vapor extraction system had been incorporated into the building design as a protection, Matela said. However, problems arose when revised plans for the location of the building at the site required a deeper excavation for the building's foundation at a different location than originally planned.

Brockport's plans for the proposed visitor's center calls for a building that would house a laundry and shower facilities, an information center and a museum. The center will be located on the south side of the canal between Main and Park Streets.

"We received the go ahead from the Canal Corp. so all systems are a go," the mayor said.

Calls to the Canal Corporation were not returned by press time.