o 5 o Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet Lowell, MA EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders in economic development to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Addi- tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The City of Lowell was selected to receive two brownfields cleanup grants. Located on the Merrimack River, 30 miles northwest of Boston, Lowell (population 105,167) has suffered the demise of both the manufac- turing and high-tech economies. Between 1988 and 1992, the city lost 22 percent of its jobs. Today it is a federally designated Renewal Community. The JAM (Jackson, Appleton, Middlesex Streets) Plan urban renewal district, in Lowell's inner-city, is the location of the target site, a former textile mill and automotive facility. Almost 17 percent of Lowell residents fall below the poverty level. This figure exceeds 25 percent in the JAM area. More than 27 percent of area residents are minorities, and the JAM district has experienced double-digit unemployment rates for Cleanup Grants $255,040 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Lowell for two brownfields cleanup grants. Funds will be used to conduct community involvement activities, excavate petroleum-contaminated soils, and remove underground storage tank sites at 101 and 115 Middlesex Street. The sites, originally part of Hamilton Mills, were used for automobile sales, refueling, and maintenance from the 1920s to the 1970s. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/ brownfields. EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team 617-918-1221 http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/ Grant Recipient: City of Lowell, MA 978-970-4276 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. several years. Cleanup and redevelopment of the Middlesex Street properties into a 900-space parking facility with ground-level retail space will help return vitality to a historical commercial corridor and provide needed jobs in the area. It will also help satisfy the parking demands for the currently underutilized Cam- bodian Mutual Assistance Association building, helping to serve the needs of a growing immigrant population. The JAM Parking Facility project is key in creating momentum for the Hamilton Canal District, a transit- oriented mixed-use development that will create 350 new jobs for Lowell residents. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-05-072 May 2005 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |