Wisconsin awards money to examine former Mirro building

By: Charlie Mathews, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — A state grant to help assess contamination at the former downtown Mirro manufacturing plant is viewed as a "complete success" by the building's owner.

"We are happy to have been selected, will put the money to good use and represent Manitowoc responsibly," said Eric Spirtas on Thursday, on the heels of the Department of Natural Resources awarding a partial $18,120 "site assessment grant."

The city had submitted "brownfield" grant requests of $30,000 and $100,000 to the DNR to fund an examination of the 900,000-square-foot building at 1512 Washington St. Spirtas purchased the land and building for $200 in June 2006.

It has been vacant for about five years, following Mirro's discontinuation of production of bakeware and cookware.

Spirtas said the potential end-use of the building is "a blur right now … we're trying to find out what it will be."
The St. Louis-based businessman said he is in communication with several prospective occupants of the seven-story, century-old structure.

Spirtas said he is seeking to find tenants "that have a desire for low cost per square foot use, and are willing to commit to a reasonable five-year term."

City Planner David Less said Thursday he hopes Spirtas will move forward, despite the grant not getting fully funded.

"My hope is he goes forward, better half an egg than no egg, and that we can get a handle on the environmental condition of this building," Less said.

"I look at one man's half an egg as another man's meal," Spirtas said. "Now, we can budget (the site assessment review by consultants) and follow the path available to us. The building has been there long enough. We can work through the process in a fair and responsible way."

Shortly after his initial purchase, Spirtas said, "What I am trying to find out is whether this building is a development or a wreck."

He said he saw a "lot of concrete, structural timbers and steel, in order. As the building stands now, we have good usable surface floors. Can it be a destination location, bring people downtown? Therein lies the trick and the challenge," Spirtas said.

On Thursday, Spirtas said the building is "up and in good shape."

The third owner since Newell-Rubbermaid first sold the property, he cautioned the overall shape of the national economy might influence the pace of potential reuse of the building.

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