Simkins Industries Will Develop or Sell Old Mill Site

Simkins Industries will either redevelop the abandoned Simkins Mill site along the Patapsco River, or sell the property to a developer or the state of Maryland.

Those are the options outlined in a letter sent by Simkins Chief Financial Anthony Battaglia to Baltimore County this month.

The River Road mill site, which has been operating since the 1800s, was used by the Connecticut-based company as a recycled paper mill until a fire destroyed the property in 2003. Another fire occurred in .

The company has been corresponding with Baltimore County and state officials on how to clean up the property, which according to county Building Engineer Donald Brand is open to the elements and 20 percent is deemed unsound.

In the most recent letter (attached to this article), Battaglia said the company will continue to clean up and repair the property and hold a public hearing in September to answer questions from the public about the clean-up process.

Actual cleanup and repair is expected to start in 2013, under a state program that Simkins has been accepted to. The state Department of the Environment will oversee the clean-up of the 55-acre property.

Once the property has been cleaned up, Simkins will either develop the property, sell it to a developer or sell it to MDE, Battaglia said.

"Since we are just beginning the implementation phase of the site work, it is impossible at this time to provide a definitive final use for this property, but Simkins does not intend to resume industrial operations on this property once exiting the [Voluntary Cleanup] program," he wrote.

What do you think of the company's plan? Tell us in the comments.

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