FROED One Government Center Fall River, MA 02722-7700 Tel 508-324-2620 Fax 508-677-2840 info@froed.org		OLD BUILDING, NEW LIFE The Herald News, Thursday, May 21, 2009 - Page B4 Fall River — Closed for nearly two years, local business owners are hoping to breathe new life into the former Quaker Fabric Plant J. Borden & Remington President Bob Bogan, whose company recently purchased the building, said he has plans to attract one or more industrial-type businesses to the 195,000-square-foot building located at 81 Ferry St. Bogan said the plant was emptied of all its equipment when Quaker moved out and is basically a gigantic open space. He said they hope to get an industrial business to take up the entire space and if not, perhaps a number of businesses could set up inside the building. “We would like to give companies the opportunity to rent the entire space because we would like to see it open up opportunities to create much needed jobs in this area,” said Bogan. Asked if he planned to renovate the space, Bogan said he had a wait-and-see approach with potential businesses. “I’m not a big believer in 'build it and they will come,' but if we need to do the work to accommodate businesses, we will,” he said. Resting on nine acres, Bogan said the building offers 14 loading docks and about two acres of available parking, in addition to its nearly 200,000 square-feet, all on a single floor. Bogan said Borden & Remington has already showed the building off to a number of prospective buyers, and Fall River Office of Economic Development Executive Vice President Kenneth Fiola Jr. has pointed a number of other businesses looking to locate or expand in the city to the area toward the space. Brokers are showing the place as well. “We’re certainly not waiting for people to knock on our doors,” said Bogan. The site of two major fires in 1941 and 1973, the building was built in 1947 by the J & J Corrugated Box Co., which eventually moved to Swansea. “The opportunity was there and we took it. Better to be local people doing this than people out of New York,” said Bogan of the purchase. “We have a high opinion of the workforce in this area, and those businesses that come here are going to figure that out quick. It’s something we always mention when businesses are touring the site.” One of those buildings that fades into the landscape along the road leading to Borden Light Marina, Bogan said the building has a lot of potential that many need to see to believe. "What I find in dealing with old buildings is that people come in and want to create the perfect space instead of trying to adapt to the current space," Bogan said. “People need to use their imagination more. It’s a good, solid building.” Back