BELCHERTOWN — Demolition and abatement of the environmentally-contaminated old power plant on the Belchertown State School property is underway as part of the redevelopment of the sprawling site.

“MassDevelopment began remediation and demolition activity on the environmentally contaminated former power plant on the campus, which has been defunct since the school closure and marks an important milestone for the Carriage Grove development,” MassDevelopment spokesperson Kelsey Schiller wrote in an email.

Developed in collaboration with the Belchertown Economic Development Corporation and MassDevelopment, Carriage Grove is a mixed-use development that will replace the Belchertown State School. Already completed projects on the campus include Christopher Heights, an 83-unit assisted-living facility and Belchertown Day School, an early childhood education center.

The master plan for the campus, approved in 2012 and updated in 2022, includes residential developments, mix-use buildings for commercial businesses and housing, and an industrial park for light industry.

The cost to demolish the power plant is $1.3 million, the most expensive of the 400,000 square feet of abandoned buildings and utility tunnels set for demolition and redevelopment, Schiller said. The price is due to the hazardous materials in the building, equipment removal and engineering designs. The demolition is funded through a series of grants awarded over the last several years.

According to Town Planner Doug Albertson, most of the contaminates in the building are due to asbestos and lead paint used in the construction of old buildings. BEDIC member Kirk Stephens added that many of the materials used in the boilers of the power plant proved to be toxic. As the most solid structure left on the campus, the abatement will require more money than the other 11 buildings set for demolition, as many of the materials will be sent to Ohio for disposal.

The project began in March is expected to be completed in August.

“Everything is contaminated at this point,” BEDIC member Jonathan Spiegel said during a March 19 meeting.

Currently, a gate surrounds the power plant to prevent passersby from entering the site as it undergoes remediation by American Environmental Inc., a Holyoke environmental demolition company.

The power plant was the central steam plant of the Belchertown State School. The facility burned coal, and later diesel, to heat water, which was distributed through underground tunnels to all the buildings on the campus.

“A lot of institutions used to be heated that way,” Albertson said.

It’s unclear what the 1-acre parcel will become after demolition is complete. The BEDIC has discussed using it for parking, with a trailhead to the Lake Wallace Sensory Trail nearby. MassDevelopment suggested that it will be a green space.

“You give us a warning when they take that chimney down. I know a lot of people want to watch that.” BEDIC member Bill Terry said on March 19.

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.