Lgn4 & Community Revitglizgtion
BROWNFIELDS SUCCESS IN NEW ENGLAND
1558 BARNUM AVENUE
BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT
Property Details
Property Address:
Property Size:
Former Use:
Contaminants Found:
Current Use:
Current Owner:
1558 Barnum Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607
4.80 acres
Scrap yard
Petroleum, PCBs, lead, PAHs, other metals
Industrial space
Jan Cohen, Northeast Builders Supply
Project Partners
Northeast Builders Supply; City of Bridgeport; 1558 Bamum, LLC;
Community Capital Fund; New Alliance Bank
Motivation for Redevelopment: The Barnum Avenue site was
a metal scrap yard from the late 1930s until 2004. During that
time, the property had been cited for illegal activities by both
state and local agencies. Redevelopment was driven by the
goal to clean up a previously contaminated piece of property in
Bridgeport that was an eyesore and not bringing in tax revenue.
In addition, the City was concerned about potential public health
threats and the long-term effect of the scrap yard's appearance
on the surrounding neighborhood, which would discourage
investment. Turning the property into a commercial development
that would generate new tax revenue for the City of Bridgeport
became a priority. This property is located in an Enterprise Zone,
which offers economic development and property tax incentives.
Property History: In 1997, the City of Bridgeport started
foreclosure proceedings on this former scrap yard, which had
$1.5 million in back taxes. The purchase agreement called for
the fair market value purchase price, determined by independent
appraisal, to be adjusted by the buyer's environmental testing
and remediation expenses. Preliminary estimates of cleanup
costs were $400-800K, but rose dramatically after the former
owners were evicted from the site and extensive testing could be
done in areas that were not previously accessible. Environmental
assessments determined that the property was contaminated
with petroleum, PCBs, lead, PAHs and other metals. After 10
years of assessment activities by the City of Bridgeport and
Northeast Builders Supply, the developers assumed ownership
of the property on May 14, 2007. On August 2, 2007, EPA
awarded Bridgeport a $1.3 million Brownfields Revolving Loan
Fund grant, which was lent to Northeast Building Supply and
Community Capital Fund to conduct remediation activities at the
project site.
Funding Details
Northeast Builders Supply:
EPA Brownfields RLF Grant Loan:
New Alliance Bank:
$3,000,000
for assessment and testing
$2,300,000
for cleanup
$2,850,000
for construction costs
Project Highlights
The largest RLF loan in New England with a total of $2.3 million
loaned
Construction of 80,000 square feet of commercial and light industrial
flex space
Expected to leverage 100 jobs
Project Results: Cleanup activities began in 2007. Because PCB
contamination was more extensive than expected, EPA funding
received for this project ultimately grew to a total of $2.3 million.
The cleanup activities included removal of approximately 6,000
tons of contaminated soil, which included 510 tons of PCB-
contaminated soil, and replacement with clean fill. Approximately
4,000 tons of soil were encapsulated on the site; final soil capping
was complete in March 2009. As a result of cleanup activities,
the property is now available for light industrial activities.
Industrial space—ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to
85,000 square feet with 24' ceiling heights—may be purchased or
leased through Colonial Realty of Fairfield, a local commercial
broker. The units offer modern, efficient construction. The
property is located in an Enterprise Zone, which offers economic
development and property tax incentives. So far, 45,000 square
feet has been constructed, of which 30,000 square feet is already
sold or leased; there are two sites left for additional construction.
The project is generating approximately $45-50,000 in tax
revenues and could ultimately generate $200,000 for Bridgeport.
Project Timeline
January 1,2001
February 1,2002
February 1,2002
June 2007
March 2009
July 2009
Phase I Assessment Completed
Phase II Assessment Completed
Phase III Assessment Completed
First Property Pre-leased
Cleanup Completed
45,000 Square Feet of Building
Space Constructed
September 2009
Local Contact: Richard McHugh, City of Bridgeport, (203) 576-3978
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