Mystery Unfolds as Teen Arsonists Take Down 170-Year-Old Historic Mill in Upstate New York
“It’s just always been there, in the center of town,” said Michelle Vanarnum, whose husband Leon worked at the mill from 1976 until it closed in 2000. “If someone came to visit and you had to give them directions, you always say ‘go to the old mill’ and then count the houses. Now it’s just gone.”
Plans To Redevelop The Victory Mills Site
In recent years, the mill had mostly been used for teens to have parties or as a place where squatters stayed, but given how prominent it was, Vanarnum said she had mixed feelings about it. Of course, the village had already been planning to raze the mill anyway later this summer.
“The property owner is going to get it on the ground, and then we’re actually trying to expedite the process of the village taking ownership of it,” said Victory Mayor Corey Helwig. “Nothing has changed in the plan going forward.”
Victory Mills Fire Department/FacebookIt is unclear how much the village paid for the property.
Helwig added that he hopes to redevelop the site into a senior living center and space for new businesses. It is not clear how much the village paid for the property.
“Through tragedy and devastation, I think it’s going to be a great benefit to the village,” Helwig said.
Meanwhile, the investigation into how the fire started continues. While the two 14-year-olds have been charged, few other details about the case have been made public.
According to a statement from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the teens “are accused of intentionally damaging a building by starting a fire and of knowingly and unlawfully remaining in a building which was fenced in or otherwise enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders.”
Post Comment