SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
FEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE
Award Winning Urban Community Result of
Collaboration and Team Work
Orlando Naval Training Center
A Baldwin Park neighborhood recreation area.
Closing in 7994 after graduating more than 652,000 recruits, the Orlando Navanraining Center began
a transformation into another successful use venture. With all project partners working in coordination,
the City of Orlando was able to engage a private developer to help envision the reuse of the property
as a new community center and bring that vision to reality. The Baldwin Park community is now
winning awards for its balance of community lifestyle, access, and environmental considerations.
First commissioned on July 1, 1968, the Orlando Naval Training Center
(NIC Orlando), a 2,072-acre facility in the heart of Orlando, was
comprised of four noncontiguous facilities in the heart of Orlando:
the Main Base (1,095 acres), Area C (46 acres), Herndon Annex (54
acres), and the McCoy Annex (877 acres). Since World War II, the
property was used for military purposes. Prior to development as the
Orlando Naval Training Center, the property was home to part of the
Orlando Army Air Station, which was established in 1942. The former
NTC Orlando was initiated to enhance the training capabilities of the
United States Navy. In 1973, Orlando became the sole site of recruit
training for enlisted women, creating the first co-located training site
for enlisted men and women. Through its history, more than 652,000
recruits graduated from the recruitment training center on the base.
At the time of closure, there were more than 250 buildings that
Aerial view of the former Orlando Naval
Training Center.
needed to be demolished and removed from the site prior to initiating redevelopment efforts. Buildings on site
included training centers, a hospital, and several residential units.
The reuse success achieved at the NTC Orlando property is a testament to coordination, cooperation, and
diligence by all project partners. All NTC project partners engaged in extensive coordination and cooperation
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with a developer to find ways of minimizing or eliminating delays that might jeopardize completion of the
various phases of the project in order to successfully accomplish a new community image. The Baldwin Park
redevelopment demonstrates that project partners and agencies working together can achieve safe and cost-
effective cleanup and redevelopment together to benefit the community. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) will continue to conduct project
oversight to ensure that the entire site is responsibly closed, all contamination is addressed and protective
of human health and the environment, and that redevelopment opportunities continue to be explored in a
manner implemented.
Fastest Ever Transfer of Navy Property
In July 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission
recommended closure of NTC Orlando. After discussion and input by
the community, NTC Orlando was selected for base closure. To satisfy
BRAC guidelines for property transfer, in 1994 the Navy completed an
Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) that identified 55 potential areas
of environmental contamination, plus an additional 200 petroleum
storage tanks. NTC Orlando officially closed on March 31, 1995,
initiating the multi-phase closure of the Center, which was completed
April 30, 1999.
In 1994, the BRAC Cleanup Team (BCT)/Orlando Partnering Team (OPT)
was formed among Navy personnel and contractors, representatives
The Village Center is the commercial
hub within the Baldwin Park
development project.
of the FDEP and the EPA. This team worked to clean up environmental contamination and transfer the former
NTC Orlando property to the city for redevelopment. EPA, FDEP, and the Navy worked together to help address
cleanup requirements.
The property owned by the Department of Defense for the NTC Orlando was returned to the City of Orlando
and a large-scale redevelopment plan was created. The City of Orlando initiated the development of a
Base Reuse Plan to transition the base property and facilities to other uses that would support local goals
for economic and community development. The City participated in a thorough inventory of the physical,
environmental, and economic conditions of the NTC Orlando property and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The City was able to identify specific goals and objectives for reuse, as well as site opportunities and constraints.
Part of the site was targeted to be transformed into a major sub-unit of Orlando called Baldwin Park.
Cleanup and Public Participation
Nearly 600,000 tons of concrete was
removed from the cleanup of the NTC
property.
In 1994, the Navy completed an Environmental Baseline Survey
(EBS) to satisfy BRAC guidelines for closure and clean up. The EBS
identified and catalogued specific areas of concern throughout
the former base properties. Several areas were identified for
cleanup and treatment of hazardous materials, including ground
water contamination, former landfills, dry cleaning facilities, and
underground storage tanks. Soil contamination included low-level
radioactive wastes, paint, petroleum/oil/lubricants, pesticides, and
solvents.
The cleanup strategy for the property included several innovative
technologies to assist with environmental restoration of the former
NTC Orlando, which saved the project approximately $11 million during the cleanup process. For example,
ground water contaminated with the solvent trichloroethene was cleaned up through natural attenuation
enhanced with vegetable oil injection. Another ground water plume is being treated using phytoremediation
and enhanced natural attenuation. EPA continues to be engaged with the property today as long-term
environmental monitoring is on-going.
The public was invited to participate in the cleanup process through the establishment of a Restoration
Advisory Board (RAB) in 1994. The RAB included 10 community members and important project partners. EPA
participated in RAB meetings, ensuring that all information was accurately shared with the public. The RAB was
a valuable resource for the community, providing a forum for constructive dialog with the Navy, EPA, and the
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The development project included sidewalks and
greenspace to help make this is a walkable community.
FDEP. Initial community skepticism related to base
closure and reuse, and concerns that environmental
restoration efforts might be compromised in the
interest of real estate transfer, were replaced with an
understanding and appreciation of the commitment
to ensuring protection of human health and the
environment. This process not only produced a
clear concept of community expectations, but
also resulted in a set of design guidelines that were
appropriate and ready for implementation
The establishment of the BCT/OPT helped to expedite
cleanup activities on the site. The BCT/OPT adopted
several practices including reducing the number of draft reports written, reviewing preliminary screening data
as soon as it was available, and making field sampling decisions immediately. These practices helped reduce
the time needed for the review process and ultimately expedited cleanup.
In addition to cleanup conducted by EPA and the
Navy, the private developer cleared the property of
more than 250 buildings, excavated 25 miles of roads,
and 200 miles of underground utilities. As part of the
sustainable cleanup, the developer recycled and
reused most of the construction materials from the
property. Overall, 600,000 tons of concrete, 80,000
tons of asphalt, and 240,000 tons of limerock were
removed. Upon completion of cleanup activities,
the former NTC Orlando's Main Base underwent
a rapid transformation into the planned Orlando
neighborhood of Baldwin Park.
Residential units include apartment buildings and
Redevelopment multi-family developments.
In 1998, two hundred acres of former Navy family housing became the Villages of Southport, the first great
success story of reuse at the former NTC Orlando. Sales were so strong that all of the 660 homes were sold in just
18 months. By 2001, former Navy recreation areas were redeveloped to become Southport Community Park, a
showcase recreation center for southeast Orlando. The following year the City completed its vision plan for an
additional 840 acres on the .
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One of the most remarkable transformations at NTC
Orlando was the redevelopment of the Main Base
into the community of Baldwin Park. When the base
closure was announced, the City embraced the
opportunity to return this centrally located property
into productive use and tie it into the rest of the
region. When the City of Orlando received the
property from the Navy, they immediately negotiated
with a developer to purchase the property and turn
the approximately 1,100-acre vacant site into a new,
thriving community. In October 1999, the City officially
Aerial view of the Baldwin Park redevelopment project, turned over the property to the developer.
The transformation of the NTC Orlando Main Base into the community of Baldwin Park was contingent upon
two pieces of property that were found to have ground water contamination and not suitable for property
transfer. These locations were critical to the developer's ability to secure financing to complete the property.
In mid-October 2002, the City of Orlando requested that the project partners expedite the transfer of the
remaining property, particularly the two critical parcels. To meet the needs of the City and the developer, the
Navy quickly prepared and distributed a draft Finding of Suitability for Early Transfer (FOSET), which underwent
an immediate "hands-on" review by project partners during a regularly scheduled team meeting. A FOSET
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Relocation of one of the older, mature
trees into part of the Baldwin Park
redevelopment area.
was also produced for public review and comment to meet the
necessary requirements, with the project partners and the City
working consistently to keep the request moving on schedule. With
the commitment from all project partners and the City, the Navy
was able to achieve the request for early transfer of the property
and to keep the developer on schedule.
EPA Remedial Project Manager, Gregory Fraley stated that
"the location of this property in the heart of downtown Orlando
generated a lot of interest in the cleanup and reuse of the
property." It was important to ensure that community needs and
opportunities were met as all project partners worked together on
this property. The early transfer authority was signed on December
19,2002.
In seven years, the Baldwin Park developers transformed the
former military base into a thriving and sustainable greenfield
community. Baldwin Park features more than 400 acres of open
space, lakes and water resources, including 15 community parks
- nearly 35% of the property is devoted to parks and lakes. In
an effort to make the property sustainable in many aspects, the
developer relocated more than 100 of the older, mature trees
from the property into new neighborhoods. The Audubon Society
worked with the Baldwin Park developers to develop the parks
and aquatic ecosystems throughout the development plan.
With the Baldwin Park community nearly completed,
approximately 10,000 residents will live in 4,100 homes, choosing
from rental apartments to custom homes. In addition, 6,000
people will work in offices throughout the neighborhood and in
shops in the Village Center.
Development along New Broad Street within
the Baldwin Park redevelopment area.
The project continues to achieve successes, winning the Phoenix Award in 2006 and the Florida Realtors
Association Envy Award in 2008. The Phoenix Awards are awarded every year by an independent panel of
brownfields experts to projects for outstanding achievement of excellence in Brownfield redevelopment.
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
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-09-001 August 2009
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