United States
                  Environmental
                  Protection Agency
                  Washington, D.C.  20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5101)
 EPA 500-F-99-039
 May 1999
 www.epa.gov/brownfields/
 &EPA   Brownfields  Cleanup
                  Revolving   Loan   Fund  Pilot
                                                        St.  Petersburg,  FL
 Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
                     Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
upto $200,000 overtwo years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models;job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states,
tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods
to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND

The St. Petersburg brownfields targets a 122-acre
inner-city industrial area.  It is plagued by vacant,
boarded up, and abandoned buildings. From 1980 to
1990, the area experienced the loss of approximately
4,000 jobs as companies moved out of this distressed
area. In 1990, the city conducted a survey involving
citizens  in the Central Neighborhood area of St.
Petersburg. Citizens living in the Central Neighborhood
responded to the survey by  clearly identifying their
needs  as job creation,  business retention, and new
business relocation in the area.  The city responded
initially by establishing a program to retain existing
businesses.  A second survey  performed  in 1991
targeted commercial and industrial businesses in the
area to determine the concerns, needs, employment,
and expansion plans of these businesses. Through the
survey, business owners indicated three major issues
hindering business expansion: lack of bank financing;
real and perceived contamination; and small lot sizes.
The city's BCRLF is supported by both the State
Department of Environmental Protection and a
Brownfields Working Group. This group has assisted
in developing the work plan and guiding the process
since its inception. The city is now engaged in the first
stage of a $7.5 million brownfields redevelopment
 PILOTSNAPSHOT
                      Date of Award:
                      September 1997

                      Amount:  $350,000

                      BCRLF Target Area :  A
                      122-acre industrial inner-city
                      area.
   St. Petersburg, Florida
 Contacts:

 Economic Development
 Coordinator
  (727) 892-5288
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA- Region 4
(404) 562-8661
      Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at:
   http://www.epa.gov/region4/wastepgs/brownfpgs/bf.htm

    For further information, including specific Pilot contacts,
  additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
  publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
          http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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project that will return the 122-acre area back to
productive use.

BCRLFOBJECTIVES

The city will use the BCRLF Pilot to provide funds for
cleanup of brownfields as a mechanism to facilitate
site redevelopment. The St. Petersburg BCRLF will
also  be used  to demonstrate to local financial
institutions the  feasibility  of lending  funds for
brownfields cleanup. The focus of the city's cleanup
and economic development efforts will be industrial
and commercial properties within the 122-acre targeted
area.  The city anticipates  that these revitalization
efforts will improve quality of life, create new jobs in
close  proximity to  the  city's  lower-income
neighborhoods,  use  the city's  infrastructure more
efficiently, and increase tax revenues.

FUNDSTRUCTUREANDOPERATIONS

The city will administer the BCRLF program through
its Department  of  Economic Development  and
Property Management.   The city's Department of
Finance Administration will serve as Fund Manager.
The city has established a contract with a local non-
profit community development corporation to perform
underwriting services. The city is currently examining
options for a Site Manager.

LEVERAGINGOTHERRESOURCES

An EPA Brownfields Assessment Pilot grant and this
BCRLF Pilot grant  are being used to leverage $7
million in funding to implement the city's Brownfields
Initiative. The city's Brownfields Initiative is being
used to leverage and attract commercial developers,
real estate brokers, and companies seeking relocation
within the community.
Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, andallCERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot                                          St. Petersburg, Florida
 May 1999                                                                       EPA500-F-99-039

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