United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-97-073
May 1997
Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
Sioux Falls, SD
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields
solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities,
and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified
approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
EPA Region 8 selected the City of Sioux Falls for a
Regional Brownfields Pilot. Sioux Falls has been
working to redevelop a mixed industrial and com-
mercial corridor adjacent to the Big Sioux River in
the City's central business district. Many parcels in
the corridor have been redeveloped, and it is becom-
ing a source of civic pride . However, several large
brownfields lie in a crucial location, physically divid-
ing two areas where revitalization is underway, and
have remained undeveloped because of the uncer-
tainties of contamination and liability. Visual blight
and depressed property values persist in the areas
associated with these brownfields.
OBJECTIVES
Sioux Falls intends to implement a strategy that
facilitates redevelopment and reuse of the brownfields
properties within the Big Sioux River Corridor. Since
1991, the City, a business group, the Chamber of
Commerce, and two development organizations have
made significant investments all along the corridor.
Past activities have included monitoring and sam-
pling for environmental contaminants and setting the
groundworkforacomprehensiveredevelopmentplan.
The brownfields initiative is intended to maintain the
momentum of redevelopment by reviving public
involvement, reopening negotiations with current
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Date of Award:
September 1996
Amount: $200,000
Site Profile: The Pilot
targets the Big Sioux
River Corridor, an area
that is adjacent to the
City's central business
district and spans the Big
Sioux River from Falls
Park to Fawick Park.
Contacts:
Steve Metli Kathie Atencio
Dept. Planning & Bldg. Services U.S. EPA- Region I
(605)367-7130 (303)312-6803
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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property owners, and developing a cooperative prob-
lem solving approach.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Reopened negotiations with City officials, State
agencies, and a property owner within the project
area to address assessment and cleanup issues.
The Pilot is:
• Working to reopen negotiations with other
brownfields' land owners;
• Conducting Phase I and II assessments on about 20
acres;
• Identifying strategies for reviving community in-
volvement in all aspects of the planning;
• Completing a redevelopment plan and legal agree-
ments; and
• Developing a clearinghouse of information that
includes buildings, rent structures, available con-
tractors and architects; and an Internet homepage.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the Sioux Falls Pilot has been a
catalyst for related activities including the following.
• Identified three potential sites for relocating an
existing business to a more suitable location.
Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot Sioux Falls, South Dakota
May 1997 EPA 500-F-97-073
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