United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-97-071
May 1997
Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
Sand Creek Corridor, CO
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 Colorado's Sand Creek
Corridor for a Regional Brownfields Pilot. Sand
Creek Corridor is a 20-square mile area located in
Northeast Denver which is heavily impacted by
industry, but which has great potential as a
commercial and recreational resource. Water
quality in Sand Creek has been significantly
affected by industrial discharges. In addition to
brownfields, four Superfund sites are also in the
immediate Sand Creek area, one of which has been
identified as an environmental justice site. Sand
Creek Corridor is characterized by ahigh minority,
low-income population.
OBJECTIVES
The overall focus of the Pilot project is to address
environmental quality, land use, and economic
development in Sand Creek Corridor. The project
also seeks to develop strategies to address issues
related to the perception of contamination, transfer
of ownership, pollution prevention, and
environmental justice. Specific objectives of the
project include: defining barriers to economic
development in contaminated areas, or areas
perceived to be contaminated; and developing and
implementing strategies to allow for appropriate
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Sand Creek Corridor, Co
Date of Award:
September 1994
Amount: $175,000
Site Profile: The Pilot
targets 3 sites within a 20-
square mile area that is
heavily impacted by
industry. The sites are
located in northeast
Denver.
Contacts:
Tom Stauch
City of Denver
(303) 436-7305
U.S. EPA-Region 8
(303)312-6982
Dan Scheppers
Co. Dept. of Public
Health and Environment
(303) 692-3398
Marlene Goettleman
City of Commerce City
(303)289-8196
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
-------
and sustainable development of brownfields.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Formed cooperative working relationships with
representatives from Commerce City, the City of
Denver, the Colorado Department of Public Health
and the Environment, and EPA Region 8 to lead the
Pilot. Additionally, Adams County, environmental
and public interest groups, other Federal agencies,
local community groups, and the Chamber of
Commerce are involved in the Pilot efforts;
• Identified barriers to redevelopment resulting from
liability concerns in the Sand Creek Corridor through
a Lender Liability Focus Group meeting in March
1995;and
• Developed possible solutions to impediments for
brownfields redevelopment during a Policy Forum
in April 1996 which included the perspectives of
local, State, Federal, and the private sector.
The Pilot is:
• Focusing assessmentefforts on three sites within the
Corridor;
• Creating partnerships between communitymembers,
local, State, and Federal officials and the private
sector through all-day workshops aimed at promoting
the dialogue on redevelopment issues;
• Establishing an information clearinghouse to provide
easy access to information on approaches to cleanup
and reuse;
• Assembling and disseminating information on
alternative financing mechanisms for cleanup and
redevelopment of contaminated property throughout
the Corridor;
• Compiling the history of the Pilot and documenting
its successes and failures in order to share "lessons
learned;" and
• Conducting an intensive outreach effort targeted at
the lending community. This is taking the form of
small facilitated meetings with lenders to exchange
information and concerns.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the Sand Creek Corridor Pilot has
been a catalyst for related activities including the
following.
• Facilitated the redevelopment of the Colorado
Organic Chemical site. The site is approximately
six acres and has a Federally-owned warehouse
located on it. The Pilot worked with the appropriate
Federal agencies to resolve the issue of ownership
and then assisted in identifying an interested
developer.
• Helped identify a developer for the 48th and Holly
Streets Landfill. Worked to bring the municipality,
the developer, and the Federal governmenttogether
to arrive at a mutually acceptable redevelopment
plan, and to transfer the property out of Federal
ownership.
• Selecting and working on redevelopment of
brownfields properties in addition to the three
currently included in the pilot.
• Assisted the City of Denver in planning for the
redevelopment of the Northside Treatment Plant.
The Colorado National Guard plans to begin
construction of a new facility at the site in the fall of
1997. This facility will also serve as a community
center. A large portion of the 50 acre site will be
developed as a park, with sports fields, trails along
the South Platte River and wildlife viewing areas.
About one-third of the site is planned for commercial/
retail development.
Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot
May 1997
Sand Creek Corridor, Colorado
EPA 500-F-97-071
------- |