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 ------- 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 ------- |