FORMER HANCOCK WOOD PRODUCTS Dickinson County BRA, Ml Assessment Grant Habitat for Humanity Gives New Meaning to "Restoring" Brownfields ADDRESS: I 13 South Milwaukee Street, Kingsford, Ml 49802 PROPERTY SIZE: 0.25 acres FORMER USE: Automotive manufacturing facility and wood products facility CURRENT USE: Charitable retail operation EPA GRANT RECIPIENT: The Dickinson County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority was awarded a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. PROJECT PARTNER: Habitat for Humanity For additional data and geographic information for this and other Brownfields Grants, please visit EPAs: Envirofacts - www.epagov/enviro/html/bms/bms queryhtml Enviromapper - www.epa.gov/enviro/bf PROJECT BACKGROUND: The Former Hancock Wood Products property has been home to a variety of operations. Originally used as a storage area for cars and parts for a local automotive dealer, in 1963 the site became home to a wooden handle manufacturing plant. The plant's owners eventually went bankrupt and the site became vacant in 2004. Because the plant used lacquer and paint as part of the finishing process, and given the site's prior use for automotive storage, contamination issues were a concern. Attracted by the property's location and value, Habitat for Humanity purchased the site in the summer of 2006. Approximately $ 15,000 from the Dickinson County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority EPA Brownfields grant was used to fund assessments on the property. It was determined that no cleanup other than minor debris removal was necessary. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: • Removed approximately 60 paint and lacquer containers of various sizes. • Leveraged approximately $55,000 for redevelopment activities. • Leveraged more than 1,400 volunteer hours for construction and many more are expected, as the ReStore facility opens and relies mainly on volunteer efforts. OUTCOME: A view of the West side of the property in March 2007. The Former Hancock Wood Products Building has been reused as a Habitat for Humanity "ReStore," which provides donated, lightly-used construction products at reduced costs. Any proceeds from sales go to the Menominee River Habitat for Humanity organization. Benefits to the community include the recycling of debris that would have formerly ended up in a landfill, and access to lower-cost construction materials, which reduces landfill use and reduces demand for new materials. The ReStore opened June 18, 2007. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ or call EPA Region 5 at (312) 353-2000 ------- |