Batavia: Siemens teardown close; asbestos removal under way

Teardown of the Siemens Automation factory is near.

A fence went up around the site earlier this week. Workers have been removing asbestos-containing materials, such as floor tiles, from the buildings.

Batavia's building division is reviewing plans for demolition, and expects to issue a permit next week, said Jeff Albertson, the city's building commissioner. Asbestos removal is "remediation" and not demolition.

Among things to be decided are whether trucks hauling the debris away should use Wilson Street or McKee Street to get to Randall Road. The factory is at McKee and Van Nortwick Avenue, one block north of Wilson.

The factory has been closed for three years. Most of the salvageable equipment was removed then, Albertson said.

He expects it could take up to a year for the buildings, totaling 220,000 square feet, to be torn down and soil containing any hazardous chemicals to be removed to the satisfaction of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Last month, the city rezoned the property for residential use, over Siemens' objections. The city wants homes, offices and shops built on the site. The company said it has had trouble selling the site for such use, due to the downturn in the economy. It preferred keeping its industrial zoning.

Letters explaining the demolition will be sent to nearby residents, Albertson said.