RUMFORD – Developers have $40-million plans for the former culinary manufacturing site at the intersection of Newman and Greenwood Avenues, which features 10 buildings listed on the historic record.

About 100 skilled workers have been working at the site since October to restore the historic buildings into apartments, retail and office space. The site started as Rumford Chemical Works in the mid 1800s, was home to Rumford's world-famous red-black-and-white-labeled baking powder and helped define Rumford as the kitchen capital of the world by the turn of the 20th century.

The factory closed in 1968, and its buildings had since been neglected until the PK Rumford LLC recently formed to conceptualize and commission the nearly 8.5-acre Rumford Center development.

Developer Colin Kane said the center will be open this September, rentals of diverse apartments that feature "light and height" will start in June or July and community tours have been given about every other Saturday.

"We are full steam ahead. People in the street don't understand how far along we are," he said. "Because of the historical tax credits, we have a lot to get done in 2008."

While the governor's bill to eliminate historic tax credits did not pass, developments like the Rumford Center that include renovating historic buildings have been grandfathered in and must finish this year to get their credits.

Mr. Kane said he and his five PK Rumford partners unexpectedly lost about $1.5 million due to changes in the historic tax credit system, but they should be able to survive the hit. He said, because of the market, a new condominium and retail building that PK Rumford planned to construct in a 2-acre plat facing Newman Avenue cannot yet be built. It will be grass until the time is right, he said.

In going forward, Mr. Kane said, the project needs to earn its certificate of occupancy and city approval as to the use of certain campus buildings.

By Jeremy Rosen