United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-98-255 November 1998 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ &EPA Brownfields Showcase Community Dallas.TX Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination. In May 1997, Vice President Gore announced a Brownfields National Partnership to bring together the resources of more than 15 federal agencies to address local cleanup and reuse issues in a more coordinated manner. This multi-agency partnership has pledged support to 16 "Brownfields Showcase Communities"—models demonstrating the benefits of collaborative activity on brownfields. The designated Brownfields Showcase Communities are distributed across the country and vary by size, resources, and community type. A wide range of support will be leveraged, depending on the particular needs of each Showcase Community. Community Profile BACKGROUND The Brownfields National Partnership has selected the City of Dallas as a Brownfields Showcase Com- munity. Dallas has been involved in brownfields as- sessment, cleanup, and redevelopment for more than two years, and has identified more than 200 brownfields within the city. The city targets the area of West Dallas for brownfields redevelop- ment. West Dallas is an 11.45-square-mile, low- income, minority popu- lated section of Dallas greatly affected by the presence of a Superfund site, a large public housing development, and industrial land use of approximately 26% of the area. The city is also targeting the 280-square-mile Southern Sector, which consists of 38% vacant land, to both address community need and take advantage of growth po- tential. Both targeted areas fall within Dallas' fed- eral Enterprise Community (EC). Dallas combines private, state, and federal resources to maximize the benefits of brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. The city is dedicated to community Dallas, Texas involvement and empowerment as part of the rede- velopment process before cleanup begins. The Brownfields Forum, citizen advisory focus groups, and brownfields site redevelopment meetings ensure the public has access to in- formation regarding brownfields redevelop- ment. Additional part- nerships with neighbor- hood associations, academic institutions, and non-profit associa- tions encourage stake- holder involvement in Dallas' brownfields re- development. In just over two years, the Dallas Brownfields Program has leveraged more than $109 million in private investments and $1.9 million in federal funds to facilitate brownfields redevelopment. The program has helped reclaim more than 1,200 acres of brownfields and anticipates the creation of more than 1,700 jobs. CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS Since the inception of Dallas' brownfields program two years ago, the city has cleaned up and redevel- oped 1,244 acres of brownfields, leveraged more than $109 million in private investments, and assisted in the creation of more than 1,700 jobs. Highlights of Dallas' brownfields redevelopment program include: • Building a $34 million multi-family/restaurant development on a property that was contaminated and abandoned for more than 9 years; ------- • Reclaiming a22.5-acre contaminated property that was abandoned for more than 8 years; • Maintaining 60 jobs, and creating an additional 30 j ob opportunities when American Pallet Recyclers developed a 26.4-acre property located in an economically-stressed area. This former concrete pipe manufacturing facility had been abandoned for more than 8 years; • Opening the Larry Johnson Recreation Center on a 2.6-acre property after the city removed contamination left by aprevious apartment complex on the property; • Developing an Occupational Training Institute. When complete, the Institute will assist community residents in developing job skills and obtaining employment; • Securing more than $1.6 million in Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Community Development Block Grant funding toward the 90-acre McComma's Bluff eco-business park and research center project; and • Serving as a model for brownfields management; for example, the bi-lingual brownfields guidance manual and other reports have been requested across the country. Dallas has leveraged $1.9 million in federal funds to facilitate brownfields redevelopment. Dallas has been designated as: an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Assessment Demon- stration Pilot and a Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot; a Department of Housing and Ur- ban Development EC; a Department of Com- merce—EDA Special Impact Area; and a General Services Administration Federal Pilot City. Dallas has also partnered with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the National Historic Register, the the Texas Depart- ments of Transportation and Parks and Wildlife, and Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission for brownfields assessment, cleanup, and redevelop- ment. SHOWCASE COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES Dallas plans to use the Showcase Communities project to continue the strong partnerships it has al- ready created, and to foster new ones. The city's objectives in brownfields redevelopment are to: link job training with forecasted jobs and life skill train- ing; provide tax incentives to businesses; maximize job growth potential of existing facilities; and develop new industrial parks. Dallas will continue to be a model for other cities in brownfields redevelopment process management. The city anticipates a full-time federal employee to join the Dallas Brownfields Program staff as a Com- prehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) expert. Additional re- sources available through national partnerships will expand opportunities for development of innovative technical and managerial methods to enhance Dal- las' brownfields program. The processes and part- nerships developed may then be documented and shared with other cities interested in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Contacts Economic Development Department City of Dallas (214)670-1686 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 6 (214)665-6736 For more information on the Brownfields Showcase Communities, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/showcase.htm Brownfields Showcase Community November 1998 Dallas, Texas EPA 500-F-98-255 ------- |