U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
FEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE WITH
REGION 6 FEDERAL FACILITIES SECTION
Partnership Key Component to
Redevelopment Success in Fort Worth
GSA Fort Worth Federal Center
FORT WORTH
James Avenue Service Center
5001 James Avenue
The entrance to the new Fort Worth Service Center
After 50 years as a federal storage facility, the Fort Worth Federal Center in Fort Worth, Texas has a new purpose
as a bustling municipal service center. As a result of tenacious coordination between four federal agencies
and state and local government. The property, now the Fort Worth Service Center, supports a law enforcement
training facility, city government offices, and a maintenance center for the Fort Worth vehicle fleet.
The 25-acre General Services Administration (GSA) Fort Worth
property was part of the larger Fort Worth Federal Center for
approximately 50 years. Starting in the 1950's, the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA) used this part of the Fort Worth Federal Center for
storing lead and antimony ingots while buyers were identified.
When the market for lead declined, the DLA sold off the remaining
lead ingots and vacated the 25-acre property.
Aerial view of the 25-acre parcel/James
Avenue Service Center under construction
As part of its federal responsibility, the GSA is charged with selling or leasing unused federal property. The City
of Fort Worth approached the GSA about the potential to lease or purchase the former DLA parcel in order
to move their municipal maintenance service centers. The new facility would replace the aged and obsolete
Harley Avenue and Downtown Service Centers.
Since GSA's federal responsibility limits its responsibility only to the disposal
of property, it is unable to coordinate the development of a property with a
potential buyer. To facilitate the transaction of the GSA Fort Worth property,
the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) was approached to act as the property owner.
This deal allowed GSA to transfer the property ownership to USPS, who would
then be able to enact a lease-to-own property agreement with the City
of Fort Worth. USPS could oversee property redevelopment and act as a
landlord for the City of Fort Worth until the city acquired the property.
City service vehicles in the bay of
the new Fort Worth Service Center
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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New grounds at the Fort Worth Service Center
Critical to the third-party deal was that the USPS requested
assurance that the property was protective of human health and
the environment prior to moving forward with property acquisition
and redevelopment plans. The DLA was responsible for the
property assessment and cleanup, and worked closely with the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to conduct
proper site investigation and cleanup. In January 2004, TCEQ
and DLA worked together to conduct site investigation activities
to determine the potential site contamination. All stockpiled
materials were removed from the site and site investigations
revealed two areas that were contaminated with lead. TCEQ
and DLA worked to remove 3,870 yards of contaminated non-
hazardous soil from the identified areas of concern. Once the soil
was removed and disposed of offsite, the property was cleared
of further contamination concerns.
TCEQ, familiar with the Ready for Reuse determinations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Region 6 office, sought help from EPA to provide the proper assurance to USPS which would allow the
property deal to move forward.
Needing to keep the property transaction moving forward, EPA Region
6 and TCEQ worked to put together a Ready for Reuse determination to
provide to USPS demonstrating that due diligence was conducted by DLA,
and that the site was protective of human health and the environment.
The Ready for Reuse determination was a key component in ensuring that
the former GSA Fort Worth property could be redeveloped. Demonstrating
that appropriate investigations and cleanup were conducted by DLA,
the Ready for Reuse determination satisfied the needs of USPS. On August
24, 2004, EPA and TCEQ jointly issued the Ready for Reuse determination,
which allowed redevelopment to begin.
Gas station pumps at the new Fort
Worth Service Center
Maintenance activities inside the
Service Center
Redevelopment started at the end of August 2004 on the 135,000 square-
foot building that would support light industrial, vehicle maintenance, office,
lab, and storage space on the property. On January 12, 2006, the ribbon
cutting and dedication ceremony were held at the new James Avenue
Service Center, which houses the City's Transportation and Public Works
and Equipment Services Departments. The vehicle maintenance center
contains its own commercial auto parts supply store and gas station pumps,
which add to the efficiency of Center. The new maintenance facility has
already improved the service provided to the city's vehicle fleet. The former
Downtown Service Center was closed and made available fora more
appropriate reuse by other city departments.
For more information, call or write:
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Mail Code: 5106P
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Phone: (703) 603-0048
www.epa.gov/fedfac
Region 6 Federal Facilities Section
1445 Ross Ave, Ste 1200
Mail Code: 6PD-F
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 665-3170
http://region6.epa.gov/websave/earthlr6/ready4reuse
http://www.epa.gov/earthlr6/6pd/rcra_c/pd-n/index.htm
Visit the FFRRO Web site for more information about federal facility cleanups, including success
stories, descriptions of new initiatives, policy and guidance documents, and our newsletter.
EPA-505-F-09-012 November 2009
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