u o Brownfields Assessment Village of Lincoln Heights, OH BACKGROUND EPA has selected the Village of Lincoln Heights for a Brownfields Assessment Pilot. Lincoln Heights (population 4,5 00) is a small, historically African-American community located 12 miles north of downtown Cincinnati in southwestern Ohio. When the village was established in the 1920s, it was one of the few areas in Hamilton County outside of Cincinnati where African Americans were allowed to purchase property and to work in nearby industrial plants along 1-70. When it was chartered as an independent municipality in 1945, the village was left with only 0.8 of a square mile of land. The village's economic base historically has revolved around industry, but its limited industrial and commercial land base has been insufficient to support the needs of village residents. Today, Lincoln Heights continues to have one of the highest population densities, lowest income levels, and highest poverty rates in Hamilton County. As part of the Lincoln Heights Revitalization Strategy and Urban Renewal Plan, the village has identified approximately 35 acres of potential brownfields for assessment and redevelopment. Areas specifically targeted for the Pilot include the 17-acre Job Corp site that was an industrial manufacturing junkyard and asphalt plant; the 1 - acre Coactive Expansion site that has had undocumented commercial, industrial, and residential uses; the 2-acre Wayne Avenue corridor that contains old manufacturing facilities; and the 6-acre Steffens Avenue corridor that contains a former warehouse, auto salvage yard, and vacant residences. These sites are typical of the uncontrolled land use and undocumented industrial and commercial development that lies adjacent to residential areas and inhibits investment in the community. Village residents are 99 percent African American, have a per capita income of $6,655, a poverty rate of 39percent, and an unemployment rate of 11 percent. PI LOT SNAPSHOT Village of Lincoln Heights, Ohio Date of Announcement: May 2002 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Village ofLincoln Heights will targetfourbrownfield sites within its limited land base and return them to productive use, as part of a strategy to enhance the village's small economic base by intensifying and expanding commercial land uses. Contacts: Village of Lincoln Heights Regional Brownfields Team (513)733-5900 U.S. EPA Region 5 (312)353-0123 Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/ For further information, including specificPilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields OBJECTIVES The objective of the Pilot is to conduct environmental assessments at four targeted sites, which will help return them to productive use. Pilot funds will be used for Phase I and II environmental assessments, including quality assurance, sampling and analysis, health and safety, and cleanup planning; and for public outreach activities, such as quarterly meetings, materials, and mailings. ------- ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Performing Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments on four target sites; and • Continuing community outreach activities to include residents and the business community in the project. The cooperative agreement forthis Pilot has notyetbeen negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Solid Waste EPA 500-F-02-069 and Emergency May 2002 Response (5105) www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- |