With the news that the YMCA’s new Centre for Life will have to build just west of where it was supposed to go at the former Belleville Fairgrounds due to soil contamination, Quinte News asked Mayor Neil Ellis what that could mean for the rest of the mostly vacant property.
There are plans for a major mixed-residential development on the land with some 300 units but Ellis says soil testing continues on the site.
“If there is some cleanup, the city will obviously have to clean it up. There’s a lot of property in the city that has been contaminated and has been built on so that’ll be something to see but I’d hate to say anything about it before it’s tested.”
It isn’t known when the latest soil testing results will be known. The contamination consists of toxic chemicals leaching from the former Northern Telecom plant property immediately north of the fairgrounds.
There are various ways to deal with contaminated soil to allow development, some less costly than others.
The YMCA Centre for Life will now be built at Rotary Centennial Park along Bridge Street West next to Centennial Secondary School.
