Preston — The Preston Redevelopment Agency is seeking $260,000 in town funds through a town meeting and referendum by Sept. 13 to do environmental abatement of one of the last remaining buildings at the center of the main campus of the former Norwich Hospital property.

PRA Chairman Sean Nugent presented the request to the Board of Selectmen on Thursday. He said the request is based on several financial factors as the agency approaches the final phases of cleanup on the property being marketed as Preston Riverwalk.

The PRA learned recently it was not approved for three $200,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency grants and also did not receive a state Small Town Economic Assistant Program grant.

But the PRA is still awaiting an application for a $1.25 million state Urban Act grant through the state Bond Commission.

The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to forward the request to the Board of Finance for its meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at Town Hall.

If the $260,000 is approved by voters, the PRA would ask for $180,000 of the funds to do interior environmental abatement of the Russell Building and would ask that the Board of Finance hold on to the remaining $80,000 for use if the town receives approval of the Urban Act grant.

Nugent said he will ask that the town meeting and referendum be held prior to Sept. 13, a schedule that would allow the agency's demolition contractor Manafort Bros. Inc. to remain on the job to do the Russell Building abatement.

Otherwise, the company would shut down abatement operations, and it would cost more to revamp the operation after a gap in time, Nugent said.

The PRA's overall plan would be to demolish both the Russell Building and the Gallup Building at the center of campus, estimated to cost a combined total of $2.14 million.

The PRA has $630,000 in available funds, and hopes to use the $1.25 million Urban Act grant for the project. The funds requested from the town would fill the remaining gap of $260,000.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday