Return to Use Initiativ
2007 Demonstration Projects
River Road Industrial
Center (formerly known as FMC
Corporation):
Fridley, Minnesota
THE SITE: The massive River Road Industrial Center, also more
commonly known by its former anchor tenant names at various points in
its long history as the FMC Corporation, United Defense, or BAE Facility,
is located in Fridley, Minnesota, just north of the City of Minneapolis. Part
of this sprawling industrial site includes an 18-acre parcel of land where
solvents, paint sludge, and plating wastes were generated and disposed of
in an on-site dump from the 1940s to 1969, contaminating both soils and
ground water. Contamination migrated to the Mississippi River, which
lies only 1,000 feet from the site and serves as the major source of drinking
water for the City of Minneapolis. In an effort to address the source of
the contamination, soil from the waste disposal areas was excavated and
placed in an on-site containment and treatment facility. A ground water
containment system has been installed and monitoring of two aquifers is
ongoing.
THE OPPORTUNITY: Conveniently located within the city limits
of Fridley, the River Road Industrial Center is already linked to public
infrastructure and utilities. The property is zoned for industrial use and the
owner is actively seeking developers to help transform the site into an asset
for the community. Though there are no buyers currently on the horizon,
the site's open space presents opportunities for alternative interim uses.
THE BARRIERS: Market conditions and Superfund stigma appear to
be the main barriers to the site's redevelopment. With only 18 available
acres, the site might be overlooked by developers seeking large tracts of
land for facilities that need land for potential for expansion. Due to its
potential to impact the Minneapolis drinking water system, the site once
held the highest Hazard Ranking System score of all sites on the National
Priorities List. This legacy of the site's contamination and cleanup may
also be a deterrent to immediate development.
THE SOLUTION: Industrial redevelopment of the site may not occur
immediately, but the site owner, ELT Minneapolis LLC, EPA, and a local
Academy of Aeronautics (AMA) club recently came to the conclusion
that temporary use of the site as a recreational space makes sense. Two
Barrier:
Superfund stigma and the small size of
the site seem to deter potential devel-
opers
Solution:
Partnership between EPA and the
Academy of Model Aeronautics re-
sulted in beneficial reuse of the site by
a local aeromodeling club
Before:
An industrial dump site
After:
Temporary recreational site awaiting
industrial redevelopment
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
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major recreational areas are located due west of the site, and the flat open space of part of the site is a perfect
flying field. Utilizing a partnership established with the AMA in 2005, EPA worked closely with the site owner
and the interested AMA club, the Minneapolis Piston Poppers, to ensure that aeromodeling would not affect the
remedy's ability to protect human health and the environment. The reuse marks the first ground-up success story
of the EPA/AMA partnership since its inception in 2005. The site's current owner feels that the Piston Poppers
are providing a valuable community service by flying their control line planes on the site. Until it is developed for
industrial purposes, the AMA club most likely will continue to fly at the River Road Industrial Center.
THE SITE NOW: The River Road Industrial Center is currently in temporary recreational use by the Minneapolis
Piston Poppers aeromodeling club. In exchange for use of the site, the club provides minor maintenance services
such as mowing the grass and keeping the field neat and clean. While the cleaned up site awaits industrial
development, the Piston Poppers are serving as responsible stewards of the land and their regular presence is
helping to deter trespassing and other inappropriate activities. The club's use of the site is also providing daily
proof to neighbors and passersby that the site's Superfund legacy is a thing of the past.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Thomas Smith, Remedial Project Manager, at (312) 886-6540 or smith.thomaslfSjepa.gov: or Tom Bloom,
EPA Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at (312) 886-1967 or bloom.thomas@epa.gov.
For information on industrial redevelopment potential, contact Mark Kolsrud, Marty Wolshe, or Jeff Patterson
at Colliers International, at (612) 341-4444.
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
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