Crews have begun preparation work for asbestos removal in the boiler house at the former Nashua Corporation building on Franklin Street in Nashua, the long empty mill building purchased by a Manchester developer late last year.

A permit for interior demolition and hazardous material remediation was filed with the city in December stating the contractor was Environmental Compliance Specialists Inc., of Atkinson. On Monday, a team clad in Tyvek suits and respirators were in their second week of stretching sheets of thick plastic over old doors and windows that lead to the cavernous boiler room that is slated to become the leasing office for the complex. Old rusted boilers and machinery filled the room inside the building. A newer boiler in an adjacent space would be sold off, according to a representative on site.

The 310,000-square-foot brick building along the Nashua River is slated to become apartments, but the process of converting the dilapidated complex of structures, the oldest of which date back to the turn of the last century, will take some time.

Asbestos was once commonly used in and around boilers and heating pipes. It is found in several forms, and crumbling material containing asbestos fibers, which can easily become airborne, is a serious health concern.

Brady Sullivan Properties Inc. of Manchester bought the building and adjacent boiler house on Aug. 14. The sale was handled by Lofts 34 LLC, a Brady Sullivan holding company. The company also plans to buy neighboring 12-14 Front St., home to the historic Greeley House and its parking lot.

Lofts 34 LLC wants to convert the multi-story brick mill building into about 168 apartments. Proposed parking includes 31 spaces within 34 Franklin Street building and most of the parking provided by two adjacent lots.

The company had submitted paperwork to have the building included on the National Register of Historic Places in October of last year. Peter Michaud, the state’s preservation tax incentives and easements coordinator, said Monday that the property was accepted as the Nashua Gummed and Coated Paper Company Historic District, on December 22.

The project would be the third largest renovation of a former mill and industrial property over the last few decades. Other renovations include Clocktower Place, which is on the opposite bank of the Nashua River, and the more recently completed Cotton Mill apartments nearby. Lofts 34 LLC has told the city that its project would benefit Nashua’s downtown, and additionally, it would have minimal impact on the area, according to the project site plan suitability report.

Developers say that not only will the building’s character remain, but the project will provide housing to the downtown area and "the potential of more consumers spending in the city," according to the report.

Accoding to paperwork filed with the city, the boiler house will feature a lounge and lobby area. Amenities at the loft homes will include a game room, sports courts, a fitness center, theatre room and a putting green.

Don Himsel can be reached at 594-6590, dhimsel@nashuatelegraph.com, or @Telegraph_DonH.