&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-98-214 July 1998 Assessment Demonstration Pilot Kenosha, Wl 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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. 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 has selected the City of Kenosha for a Brownfields Pilot. Kenosha (population 86,800) focuses its brownfields activities on the Harborpark Development Project, a comprehensive redevelopment project encompassing 69 acres of downtown Kenosha. The Harborpark Development Project evolved from a master plan. This plan was developed with the help of the Urban Land Institute and by LDR International. The City plans to transform this once-delinquent industrial land into a center of activity with public gathering places, a mile-long promenade, visitorattractions, a public trolley system, and a water-oriented residential neighborhood. Kenosha has identified other brownfields properties for potential Pilot activities, including the Frost Manufacturing Company and Kenosha Iron and Metal sites. Brownfields sites identified by the City are located in disadvantaged areas and neighborhoods, with approximately 35% of the population living below the poverty level. In addition to the health and safety issues that will be resolved with brownfields cleanup, PILOT SNAPSHOT Kenosha, Wisconsin Date of Announcement: July 1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets brownfields properties in the inner city of Kenosha near low-income neighborhoods. Contacts: Office of the Mayor City of Kenosha (414)653-4000 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 5 (312)353-3161 Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/ For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- the redevelopmentofthese sites will provide additional tax revenues in these neighborhoods, which should increase property values in the entire area. OBJECTIVES The City of Kenosha is in the process of rebuilding its inner city by addressing the problem of blighted contaminated properties. The Pilot's objectives are to identify new properties for cleanup and redevelopment; perform more site assessment and cleanup planning on projects already underway; and continue to involve the community in the brownfields re vitalization proce ss. ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Identifying and prioritizing additional sites in the inner city neighborhoods; • Conducting environmental site assessments on each the newly identified sites; • Creating cleanup and redevelopment plans for the Kenosha Iron and Metal and the Frost Manufacturing Company sites; and • Supporting ongoing community involvement and input for the identified sites. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilos Kenosha, Wisconsin July 1998 EPA 500-F-98-214 ------- |