Field of four battle for Remington plant contract…

GEC close to decision on company to demolish former weapons factory.

In the coming weeks, Bridgeport residents will see large equipment invade the former Remington Arms site. And by the end of 2012, the 95-year-old building where weapons were manufactured during World War I will no longer sit at the foot of Seaview Avenue.

Precious metals, like copper, were removed months ago from both the two-story power house and the main 1.3 million-square-foot five-story building, along with over 70,000 light bulbs.

The power house will be the first structure to come down. That part of the process will likely take most of the summer, while each of the 13 interconnected structures will take about a month to bring down.

Although a company has not yet been chosen to do the work, the General Electric Co., which owns the complex, has narrowed the field to four and will soon be announcing its pick. “They can work around the clock, year round,” said Marian Whiteman, environmental remediation counsel for GE. “The goal is to get it done as quickly as they can.”

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