The road work will complement the Ludlow Mills reconstruction project.
Work on the reconstruction of State Street in front of Ludlow Mills, show here, is set to begin next week.LUDLOW — The reconstruction of State Street in front of the Ludlow Mills complex will begin next week, Bryan Nicholas, senior vice president of the Westmass Area Development Corporation, said.
He said the work should be completed this construction season. Traffic detail has been assigned and the street will remain passable, Nicholas said.
The town of Ludlow has received $3.7 million in state money to rebuild State Street and First Avenue in front of the Ludlow Mills complex, with new utilities, including a high-pressure natural gas line.
The project also will include a new water line from Sewall to Hubbard Streets that will improve the quality of water and fire protection in the town, Nicholas said.
An additional $1 million is expected next year from the state to improve Center and East Streets and widen intersections and turning lanes for the mill traffic, he said.
The Ludlow Mills reconstruction project is one of the biggest development projects in Western Massachusetts and will result in jobs for the region, said state Rep. Thomas Petrolati, D-Ludlow, who included the $1 million in the House transportation bill for the road improvements.
As part of the $70 million redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills, HealthSouth plans to relocate to the Ludlow Mills. HealthSouth is investing $27 million to build a new rehabilitation hospital to relocate its hospital and 240 employees to the Ludlow Mills site by the end of 2013.
In preparation for the project, demolition will begin this month on 10 of the mill buildings to the rear of the Ludlow Mills property on State Street, Nicholas said.
HealthSouth has purchased 10 acres along State Street from Westmass and is planning to expand its 53-bed hospital to 70 beds.
WinnDevelopment is planning a $20 million 83-unit senior housing complex on four floors of Building 10 in the Ludlow Mills. WinnDevelopment is still awaiting tax credit approval from the state for its project, Nicholas said.