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;

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• 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

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