THE TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. — National Resources President Joseph Cotter on Friday removed hundreds of tons of asbestos-laden debris from a site touted as the center of an economic development renaissance containing thousands of potential future jobs. It showed a bright mood coming from the removal.
Since December 2015, Cotter has led tours of the iPark 87 site with about 45 people to an area that used to have three 15-foot-tall mounds. IBM he had created since 1956.
“We found ourselves in the Holy Land in County Ulster,” he said. “Before IBM, Ulster county was like Switzerland before banks, cows and milk. I did.”
A triumphant participant was Michael Reagan, Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency. He touted the efforts of county and town officials working to make the site an “economic asset” and expedite the debris removal process. Some material has been removed over the past two years, but the bulk of the work began on his late August and was completed two weeks ago. This is largely due to support of up to $7 million from national resources.
“Joe Cotter, his vision is contagious,” he said.
U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan (D-Gardiner) agreed with this assessment, citing the belief that Ulster County and the town of Ulster were held “hostage” by tactics used by TechCity’s former owner, Alan Ginsburg. was in contrast.
Regan said future work inside the former IBM building is under EPA oversight, but National Resources expects iPark 87 to be an example of “turning devastation into power.” .
Kotter, who has submitted draft site plans to the town for redevelopment, has held numerous discussions with film production support and training companies Stockade Works and Upriver Studios as one of the sprawling campus’s most promising potential tenants. or advertised.
An optimistic assessment was shared by the company’s co-founder Beth Davenport.
“We’re in the (prospectus) stage…but there’s no timeline yet for when we’ll start building,” she said.
“The Stockade Works and Upriver combo platter is intended to be the economic engine of film and television in the region,” said Davenport. “Filmmaking really is a manufacturing industry. Previously he always thought TechCity was the best place to get jobs back and bring in film and TV because of the job multiplier effect. We are moving forward with
