From Poor Reputation to
Model Mixed-Use
V,
Emeryville, California
ictim to the typical abandonment of numerous industrial
sectors in the mid-1900s, Emeryville, CA was left with an unappealing
burden of dilapidation, poverty, and unemployment. The city was
plagued by brownfields, with at least sixty percent of its non-residential
property lying vacant or underutilized, and a loss of 450 jobs and
$13.3 million in tax revenues. In addition to this uninviting spectacle,
considerable soil and ground water contamination was left behind,
contributing to the proverbial dark cloud hanging over the small city.
Nevertheless, with the help of a few key players, including EPA,
the City of Emeryville has changed its poor reputation by turning
brownfields into model mixed-use developments.
One particular brownfield in Emeryville, Heritage Square, was home
to two structures: a transformer manufacturing facility owned by
Westinghouse Corporation, and an oil-processing tank farm owned
by Chevron. In 1993, the City of Emeryville, with the help of
EmeryStation, LLC/ Wareham Development, constructed an Amtrak
station at the property hoping to attract development to the area.
However, high amounts of poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) existed
in the soils around Heritage Square, and the Westinghouse facility
was monitored by EPA as a federal Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) site. These factors contributed to anxiety and hesitation from
prospective developers.
EPA awarded the City of Emeryville a $200,000 Brownfields
Assessment Demonstration Pilot grant in 1996. As part of a citywide
program, the city used the funds to determine that PCB contamination
in the soil surrounding Heritage Square, which was assumed to be
widespread, was not a major concern for the redevelopment of the
property. In addition, Ignacio Dayrit, Emeryville Pilot Coordinator,
explains that "with EPA's help, we [the city] were able to limit the
extent of the [TSCA] agreement to develop on certain parcels and
showed there were low third-party risks on the site." These factors
helped to eliminate the negative stigma of the property, alleviating
developers' fears.
continued
The Green City Lofts in Emeryville, California.
JUST THE FACTS:
• A large, former industrial site in
Emeryville, CA held contamination
uncertainties that discouraged
developers.
• Assessments funded through EPA
Brownfields grants revealed that the
nature of PCB contamination on the
property was not as severe
as suspected.
• An EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund was used to
create a final, capping solution to
remaining contaminants. This removed
the final barrier to redevelopment.
This once-stigmatized property is now
home to hundreds of thousands of
square feet of office space and 100
condominium units.
"EPA has certainly been
involved with [the city of Emeryville] for
some time... both have been proactive in
thinking outside the box in terms of how
to deal with brownfields issues, which are
many in Emeryville."
—A private developer in
Emeryville, CA
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CONTACTS:
For more information contact
U.S. EPA REGION 9
(415)947-8000
Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Despite the PCB contamination, EmeryStation, LLC bought the brownfield
and arranged for its cleanup. Westinghouse agreed to dig up most of the
contamination, but some remained. In 1997, EmeryStation I, a 250,000
square-foot office building, was constructed on the Heritage Square
property. EmeryStation II, a parking structure with more than 800
spaces, was also built, with plans to build the Terraces at EmeryStation,
100 condominium units above the structure. An additional 170,000
square-foot office building, EmeryStation North, was also planned for
the property. However, both the Terraces and EmeryStation North could
not obtain final occupancy approval until the lack of adequate vehicular
access to the structures was addressed.
An EPA $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF)
awarded to the city in 1999 was used to construct an access road that served
as a cap to remaining PCB contamination, allowing for final occupancy approval
for EmeryStation North and the Terraces. Geoff Sears, a representative of Wareham Development,
expressed that "EPA has certainly been involved with Emeryville for some time," and that "both have
been proactive in thinking outside the box in terms of how to deal with brownfields issues, which are
many in Emeryville."
Since the construction of the access road, EmeryStation North and the Terraces at EmeryStation have
been completed. In 2003, Emeryville received a $350,000 EPA assessment grant to assess the last,
and most contaminated portion of the property, called the "mound," which will become a mixed-use
Transit Hub directly adjacent to the Emeryville Amtrak station. The station serves not only Amtrak
trains, but also inter-city trains, AC transit bus service, and a free shuttle. The entire redevelopment
area encompasses approximately 10 acres and is adjacent to significant commercial development. With
affordable housing, office, and retail space, this transit-oriented development is truly a model example
of mixed-use redevelopment.
Brownfields Success Story
From Poor Reputation to Model Mixed-Use
Emeryville, California
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA-560-F-08-301
September 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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