HANCOCK — It would be a spectacle.

From glass-blowers to basket-weavers and ice cream shops to restaurants all in one location, some local residents are hoping to see the Quincy Smelter site turned into an artists village.

The Quincy Smelter Association is an organization arranged to preserve the smelter site and save it from being demolished. The association is a non-profit organization that helps generate income for the smelter.

Mary Sears, QSA president, said each of the 33 on-site buildings have historical significance. Originally, when the group first got together, they decided to preserve the site to create a place where people can walk around and look at the buildings.

Sears said plans have “already taken off” and the group will begin work on the site in the spring.

“Right now, it’s not being used for anything,” she said. “We’re in the process of getting money to clean the asbestos out of the few buildings that have as