Brownfield Descriptions ties and encourage additional businesses to locate in this vital area of the City. The stimulus to the redevelopment of this area has been an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields grant of $200,000. We are spending the bulk of that grant money on environmental assessments and a redevelopment plan for a portion of the CCBN (approximately one- sixth of the total park) and for a landscape design plan of the entire area. The city and the state have already invested or committed more than $6 million dollars for road improvements in the area, through two major road-widening projects. The site has a varied history of multiple uses including residential, institutional, governmental, manufacturing and commercial. The past and present on-site environmental concerns include: metalworking/foundries; marble quarry operations; furniture manufacturing; chemical manufacturing/processing; vehicle equipment maintenance; textile processing mills; printing facilities; welding operations; electric power substation. Phase I assessments have been done on some 90 acres. So far, the contamination found in connection with the $7.3 million in private development that has been launched so far has either been slight or nonexistent. No cleanup has been required yet. In order to come up with strategies for redevelopment, the city built a partnership among interested residents, business owners, governmental officials, and development experts and representatives from those areas have been serving on committees since the effort began. But the city has been stymied in its efforts to bring significant quality redevelopment to the area, based largely on the lack of available land. Developers express interest in coming into the area, only to have to look elsewhere because of the difficulty and high cost associated with the private acquisition of a large number of small parcels, along with higher site preparation costs, absolute street patterns, inadequate access and absentee ownership. Public action to assemble property into larger blocks, along with public investment in infrastructure, site and access improvements, is critical to facilitating private investment and the creation of new jobs. The city has identified a need for a multimillion dollar revolving fund to cover the estimated $16.2 million needed for site acquisition, remediation and site preparation. The fund would be replenished as the properties are sold to developers. The city is currently evaluating funding options and has included this project in Knoxville's 1998 Empowerment Zone application. The decision to develop the Center City Business Neighborhood will influence the area for decades to come but not only through a significant increase in the city's tax and the creation in 10 years of an estimated 1,800 new jobs with an estimated private sector payroll of $42 million annually. The quality of the design and the type of development would have a direct bearing on the daily lives and environment of a substantial percentage of the population - as well as the appearance of the city as a whole. The potential impact on existing neighborhoods inhabited by historically disadvantaged populations - low and moderate income families and a significant segment of Knoxville's minority community - could be enormous, making this effort a top priority. Las Vegas, NV Fast Facts on the Armory Why is the Armory a Brownfields site? In 1997, the city accepted ownership of the Armory site from the Nevada National Guard. This 3.6 acre site contains buildings that were used for office space, vehicle service and chemical and supply storage for military business. In early 1998, a Phase I study was suggested to identify any historical environmental issues associated with on-site and off-site land uses. The City hired a local environmental consulting firm to study the conditions at the Armory site by performing this Phase I study. Their research suggested an impact from both on-site and off-site environmental issues that may complicate the development process. To investigate these issues, testing is currently being performed to confirm the environmental integrity of the soil and ground water at this site. When will the testing take place? A consulting firm has been selected and the process of testing has begun. The test results should be available in February 1999. What will be the future use of this site? At this time, this site is planned to have a community center and business incubator program. What factors make this site so important to the development of this area? This site is located close to a major freeway exit in a mature neighborhood just east of Downtown Las Vegas. This site has good street frontage, significant acreage and is located at a signalized major intersection. The surrounding neighborhood is predominantly Hispanic. Leavenworth, KS 1. Brownfield site #1 is a superfund cleared site where an auto salvage and scrap metal yard was known to contain PCBs and other heavy metals. EPA cleaned it in 1993-94 timeframe. The City then rechanneled a creek that went through the site to a new location around the site to complete surface restoration work and reduce down-stream flooding. 2. The second Brownfield site had KPL substation and transformer storage on one side with an ink and paper manufacturer on the other. After removal of 2 feet to 4 feet of surface materials, a new auto dealership was built and the asphalt parking lot encapsulates any residual waste that may still contaminate subsoil. 3. The third site had a coal gassification plant (Kansas Gas Service). After removal of 1-2 feet of surface materials, clean materials were used to fill and landscape a city park. KGS has a monitoring well on site, but this is no longer considered hazardous. Each of these projects has led to significant redevelopment of severely blighted property. Lewiston, ME Background EPA has selected the City of Lewiston for a Brownfields Pilot. The declining fortunes of the New England textiles industry have adversely affected the City of Lewiston (population 39,757). The main focus of brownfields cleanup and redevelopment in Lewiston is the 1.2 million-square-foot Bates Mill Complex. Historically, the eleven-building mill complex employed more than 5,000 people and was the state's largest employer. Economic decline and massive layoffs, however, have resulted in a large abandoned mill and a barren downtown. In the community surrounding the mill, unemployment is 16.1percent, compared to 7.5 percent for the entire city. The poverty rate in this community is 47.3 percent, while the rate for the city is only 3.9 percent. Revitalization of Lewiston's downtown and waterfront depends upon returning the Bates Mill Complex to productive use. Because total renovation is estimated to cost between $70 and $100 million, the city has renovated the cleanest and most desirable sections of the mill first. Signs of the mill's rejuvenation are beginning to show, with 24 small businesses and 300 people operating in two sections of the complex. Real and per Brownfield Descriptions ceived environmental contamination hampers development of the remaining 67 percent of the complex. A Phase I environmental site assessment has already taken place. Without the Pilot, financial constraints would prohibit a Phase II assessment of the most contaminated parts of the mill, and developers may avoid such properties with unknown potential environmental cleanup costs. Objectives Lewiston's objective is to use the Bates Mill Complex as an anchor for downtown cleanup and economic redevelopment, and as a catalyst for community job creation. Lewiston plans to use Pilot funds to overcome barriers to mill renovation posed by the most contaminated sections of the complex. Initial Pilot funding will be used for site assessment, site identification, and site characterization. Roundtable discussions with stakeholders will then produce an action plan for cleanup. Those discussions will also help to identify additional investors and creative financing solutions. Livonia, MI The City of Livonia Landfill consists of 77.98 acres, and is located in Livonia's Industrial Corridor between, but not contiguous to, I-96 on the north and CSX rail on the south. The Landfill is currently zoned Public Land as it is owned by the City of Livonia. Approximately 15 acres are currently being utilized as an active landfill. Additional current uses include a Department of Parks & Recreation Archery Range, Department of Public Works storage and maintenance yards, a police and fire training area, and five acres are leased to a private firm specializing in roadway paving and construction. Projects currently under study for this acreage include a five-acre parcel for an electric utility substation, and strong interest in 20 acres from a national Brownfield site development firm. As the City of Livonia's Industrial Corridor is, in essence, landlocked, the location of the City's Landfill is very attractive for re-zoning to M-1 or M-2 and industrial build-to-suit projects. The Livonia Department of Public Works has traditionally been charged with operation of the Landfill and dispersion of its acreage for new uses. The Livonia Economic Development office is now working in support of the Department of Public Works in redevelopment of this land. Brownfield Descriptions Lynwood, CA Northeast corner of Alameda Street and Imperial: Western Gateway Site The site is a vacant industrial building encompassing 83,000 square feet of land. The property has been vacant for many years. Included on the site is an auto wrecking yard and remaining vacant property. The last known licensed use of the property was an electrical contracting business. The property is in a deteriorated condition with trash, debris, broken windows, graffiti, etc. Major impediments to development are the costs of clean-up of the site as well as the demolition, and acquisition of the property. The site is located on two major arterial highways and is adjacent to the I-105 freeway. Currently the property is zoned industrial however, the site could be developed as a commercial site because of its location. Potential development could include a stand alone big box retail use or a Power Center. Status of the site; City is seeking a project developer Vestar Development Property The site is a 34 acre property that is adjacent to the Long Beach 710 Freeway and the I 105 Freeway. The site is developed with a mixture of industrial and residential uses. The site is located in a existing flood zone. The site is in dilapidated condition, deferred maintenance on the buildings, streets in need of repair, with a overall lack of planning and city services. Major impediments to development are the belief that some of the area is built on or has remains of an old landfill as well as high acquisition and relocation costs to develop the site. The property is currently zoned industrial however the property could be developed as a Industrial Park or a retail Power Center. Status of the site; City is working with Vestar Development on a feasibility study on the economics of the site. Macon, GA Downtown Industrial District (DID) Brownfields Redevelopment Project At the present time, the City of Macon would like to consider the acquisition of property located in the Downtown Industrial District. This property would be used for the development of a regional recreational facility identified in the community's recreation and open space plan. The plan proposed that such facilities would best be located in this area. The Brownfield Pilot Proposal would enable the city to investigate the brownfield status of the selected site. Specifically, the funds would allow the city to hire a professional to prepare an environmental assessment of the property with recommendations on the appropriate clean-up activities as well as appropriate uses for the site. Secondly, a feasibility study will be developed which would consider the cost of environmental reclamation, site development costs for the proposed uses, and income produced by the activities taking place on the proposed site. This study would also make recommendations in terms of the financing mechanisms for implementing this project. The third and final activity of this proposal includes a public participation/education program. This program will develop workshops and information materials that will assist the public in understanding the importance of brownfield reclamation as well as showing the financial and development institutions of the community how brownfields can be developed and produce economically viable projects. Malden, OH TeleCom City is a regional technology development initiative designed in a collaborative effort between federal representatives, led by Representative Edward Markey, Massachusetts's Weld-Cellucci administration, and local government to bring together industry, university, and government interests at a site in the cities of Everett, Malden, and Medford, five miles north of Boston. It will position the Massachusetts economy for telecommunications industry growth into the next century. Among the key findings described in this Plan are the following: • The strong position of Massachusetts in the rapidly • No other state has adopted the comprehensive Based on these findings, the Mystic Valley Development Commission ("MVDC"), the tri-city agency charged with rede Brownfield Descriptions veloping the area, will acquire a large percentage of the underutilized 207 acre site, relocate the current private businesses and prepare the land for redevelopment by a private master developer ground lessee. The MVDC will work closely with area universities, emerging and established telecommunications businesses and venture capitalists to establish collaborations and partnerships off-site and on-site that will center Massachusetts's claim to predominance in this rapidly emerging industry. • The project will create approximately 2 million The MVDC proposes a financing plan involving substantial commitments of federal, state and local financing in the context of these developing industry and academic collaborations. The state investment will involve a total of approximately $17.8 million in grants for on-site infrastructure, $44 million in repayable loans for land assembly and preparation, and $15 million in grants for initiation of on-site industry activities to be matched by other sources. Long overdue regional transportation corridor improvements have been preliminarily estimated at $54 million. The state will be repaid with interest for its loans, realize substantial return from the payroll taxes resulting from job creation on the site and will also fully participate in the longterm financial return of its investment. In short, the TeleCom City project will position Massachusetts to create skilled jobs and nurture innovative companies to compete for a rising standard of living in the next century. Eighty acres, located in the Memphis Enterprise Community. Key strategy to Memphis Empowerment Zone Round II Application and strategic Plan. Located in an area, which lost approximately 1,500 jobs when the Firestone Plant closed. Clean-up is key to higher re-use which would create jobs for the surrounding community known locally as New Chicago. Wabash Screen and Metal Door Plant Located in South Memphis. Part of the Enterprise Community. Fifteen acre site formerly industrial. Beginning negotiations for purchase from private owner. Re-use would be Phase II of a residential development plan. Memphis Wolf River Harbor Potential site for clean up and reuse for passive recreation and as an emenity to the redevelopment of the Memphis Riverfront. Area is adjacent to a historic neighborhood slated for redevelopment. Other sites Being Scouted for Potential Discussions between the Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development and the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Planning and Development are on-going in relation to future Brownfield site redevelopment projects. A joint City/County economic development plan known as Memphis 2005 identifies brownfields and urban redevelopment as a main goal. Miami, FL Poinciana Industrial Center The Poinciana Industrial Center (PIC), located between NW 73-78 Street and NW 22-27 Avenue is in an older, mixed use, economically depressed minority neighborhood of north central Miami-Dade County. The site comprises about 30 acres Brownfield Descriptions of former industrial and commercial uses. As a result of the Miami 1980 civil disturbances, industrial operators located in the PIC were adversely affected. Miami-Dade County, using federal funds, purchased much of the abandoned and fire damage properties. Today there are a few on-going businesses. Redevelopment has been slow in part due to perceptions of site contamination, and additional environmental assessment and remediation activity is required before the site can be effectively marketed for private redevelopment. PIC is adjacent to a family public housing development, thereby underscoring the concern about potential human exposures to any contamination that may be found at the site. This area is composed of low income minority residents experiencing high levels of unemployment, and in great need of jobs. The greatest impediment to PIC has been the slow redevelopment process as well as the inability to sell or lease property due to the possibility of contamination. This project has created an awareness that streamlining the redevelopment process is imperative. PIC must be marketed and promoted quickly but this may only occur when the individual parcels have been environmentally assessed and remediated. City of Miami's Wynwood Project The City of Miami was awarded an EPA pilot grant in 1996 to redevelop a formerly economically active industrial area of Wynwood, a City of Miami neighborhood. The neighborhood is part of the Wynwood, Community Development Target Area and is included in the Miami-Dade County Enterprise Community and a State of Florida Enterprise Zone. The project site is adjacent to the newly established Wynwood Foreign Trade Zone. This 5-6 acre area is located between NW 1 Place and 1 Avenue and between NW 21-22 Street. The project is divided into the east and the west parcel. The Wynwood neighborhood is bounded by railroad tracks to the east and expressways to the north and west. Wynwood's industrial district suffered massive job loss in the 1980s dropping in that decade from 2,381 to 843 jobs. Over 40 percent of this area is devoted to industrial or commercial use. Although this tremendous loss of jobs of almost 65 percent in ten years was not primarily due to a brownfields problem, once industry left brownfields were an important factor in the failure to re-attract businesses to the area. To redevelop the area would increase the jobs and spur urban in fill. One of the major impediments for redeveloping the Wynwood site is the complexity of determining who owns the properties. The properties under control of the bankruptcy court in Las Vegas has complicated the redevelopment decisions locally. Another obstacle has been the local and federal back taxes and the accrued liens on the properties. Compounding the problem, the environmental contamination of the properties is more severe than previously thought; however, the sites can be remediated quickly once the properties are sold to the redeveloper. These road blocks have indicated that the federal government, especially the Internal Revenue Service, should be involved with the brownfields effort in order to streamline and expedite the redevelopment process. Minneapolis, MN South East Minneapolis Industrial Area (SEMI) In 1994, the Southeast Economic Development (SEED) steering committee was formed to oversee redevelopment of this 300 acre industrial area on the Minneapolis/St. Paul border. The Steering Committee consists of neighborhood representatives bordering SEMI, representatives of their corresponding Neighborhood Revitalization Programs, the Southeast Business Association (SEBA), Stadium Village and Dinkytown commercial associations, University of Minnesota, City and Minneapolis Park Board staff. The Steering Committee has prepared a Framework Master Plan for the area and has supported several significant contamination reclamations which resulted in new business and job creation for the area. With assistance from the Minneapolis Community Development Association (MCDA), a private investor cleaned up and redeveloped two brownfield sites and constructed 650,000 square feet of new light industrial space, creating space for more than 800 jobs. In cooperation with Hennepin County, two other sites are being cleaned up to provide 140,000 square feet of new light industrial space, creating space for 150 jobs. In cooperation with the University of Minnesota, and the City of St. Paul, the MCDA has been awarded funds to clean up a former waste dump for Hubbard Broadcasting's 18,000-square-foot United States Satellite Broadcasting (USSB) facility. The project is estimated to retain 100 jobs and create 100 new jobs. Northeast Minneapolis Quarry Regional In 1996 the three acre Quarry Retail project in northeast Minneapolis cleaned up a former dump to develop a regional shopping center featuring major grocery and retail stores in |