&EPA
                   United States
                   Environmental
                   Protection Agency
                   Washington, D.C. 20460
                           Solid Waste
                           and Emergency
                           Response (5101)
      EPA 500-F-98-223
      July 1998
                                Assessment
Demonstration  Pilot
                                Cedar Rapids,  IA
  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 Cedar Rapids for a
Brownfields Pilot. Cedar Rapids (population 108,751)
is the largest community in eastern Iowa. There are
several areas in the City, including the targeted south-
side neighborhood, with disproportionately high
numbers of elderly, low-income, and minority residents.
Unemployment in the targeted area is 13 %, and 30%
of the area's population lives in poverty. Nearly 38%
of the area's residents are elderly and 28% of the
residents are minority.

The targeted area, consisting of approximately 177
acres of mixed-use property—commercial, industrial,
and a long-established Eastern European residential
neighborhood—is in  decline  and transition.
Approximately 70 acres of this property is considered
to be  brownfields.  The residential  cohesiveness
within the area has eroded, and buildings have been
abandoned and neglected.  Three sites—a former
meat-processing facility, abuilding that housed a steel
fabricating business, and an abandoned iron foundry—
will be targeted by the Pilot.

OBJECTIVES

As part of the City's comprehensive and sustainable
planning effort, the Pilot plans to help transform the
                             PILOT SNAPSHOT
                                                Date of Announcement:
                                                July 1998

                                                Amount: $200,000

                                                Profile: The Pilot targets
                                                three properties on the
                                                City's south side nearthe
                                                Cedar River.
                              Cedar Rapids, Iowa
                           Contacts:

                           Department of
                           Development
                           City of Cedar Rapids
                           (319)398-5041
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 7
(913)551-7786
                                 Visit the EPA Region 7 Brownfields web site at:
                          http://www.epa.gov/region07/specinit/brown/brownfields.htm

                               Forfurtherinformation, 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/

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targeted area into a year-round recreational complex
with parkways and  trails.  The  project seeks to
accentuate the positive and unique attributes of the
area (e.g.,  Cedar River,  the  Eastern European
neighborhood, and cultural buildings) while overcoming
the blighted conditions, enhancing environmental
quality, and creating j obs.  To help accomplish these
larger objectives, the Pilot will focus on environmental
assessment,  cleanup planning,  and  community
engagement at the three priority brownfields in the
area. In addition, the City will work to leverage other
public and private sector funds to help complete this
project.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Conducting  Phase I  and  II  environmental
  assessments at the three targeted properties;

• Analyzing cleanup strategies and developing cleanup
  cost estimates for the properties;

• Developing a risk-based cleanup plan for the
  properties  that considers alternate redevelopment
  plans  and emphasizes compatibility  with the
  surrounding area;

• Identifying cleanup funding sources; and

• Working with community stakeholders in the planning
  efforts.

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 Pilot                                             Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  July 1998                                                                        EPA500-F-98-223

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