Burlington Free Press: Moran partner hopeful

Despite a long economic winter, Ice Factor, the for-profit anchor of Burlington’s Moran plant project, remains enthusiastic about building a rock- and ice-climbing center in the decommissioned waterfront power plant.

“We’re just as keen on this as ever,” Phil McCully, the Montreal-based spokesman for the Scottish company, said recently. “The group’s working really well together. People are still optimistic. We’re still awaiting the numbers. We’ll be really pleased when we get our hands on those.”

Some numbers arrived Thursday. The city’s Community and Economic Development Office announced a $100,000 grant from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation for the removal of “debris and sediments” inside the plant — a necessary step before remodeling can begin.

During the winter, Ice Factor, The Green Mountain Children’s Museum and the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center reached an agreement on cost-sharing with the city. The Burlington architectural firm Freeman French Freeman has been preparing an architectural and engineering plan for the project.

That plan, due in early May, will give each of the partners a firm budget for its portion of the project. Voters in 2008 approved the concept and its tentative $21 million price tag, but McCully said his expectation was for a much lower figure.

With a hard number, he said, Ice Factor could approach its investors “to see how we can structure the financing. Everybody’s ready to go.”

CEDO Director Larry Kupferman said the Freeman French Freeman work has led to a “creative and workable plan for utilizing the building.” The budget numbers in May, he said, “should come within what the partners have expected.”

McCully said his company, based in Lochaber, Scotland, is doing well despite the worldwide recession and is opening a new rock- and ice-climbing venue in Inverness, Scotland. Ice Factor also is continuing to reach agreements to build climbing walls elsewhere.

“Even in this very difficult time, the adventure industry is still doing well,” he said.

McCully said he has met several times with the Moran Users Group and with Freeman French Freeman and has considered several updates of the plans.
Advertisement

The wait for the budget numbers has been difficult, McCully said.

“We’re comfortable things are moving ahead,” he said, “but, my goodness, we surely want to pull the trigger. If we keep delaying this, numbers will start to change. If there wasn’t an economic crisis, I think there’d be people slamming their shoes on the table.”

After the numbers are available, the partners will create a timetable for fundraising and moving ahead on the project, he said.

McCully was optimistic in part because the partners work well together, he said, and because he believes “tourism will be stable in Burlington. We’re confident … (the remodeled plant) will be a big draw.”

Kupferman said the partners will begin raising the money for their portion of the project if the numbers work for them. Getting state and local permits, he said, will likely delay the start of construction until 2010.

ON THE WEB See the city description of the Moran Plant project at http://twurl.nl/5p14uy.
Contact John Briggs at 660-1863 or jbriggs@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com.