5 o T> Brownfields 2007 Grant Fact Sheet Roanoke, VA EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Addi- tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The City of Roanoke was selected to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. Since 1980, Roanoke (population 94,911) has steadily been losing residents. Roanoke has identified two strategic areas for revitalization: the five neighborhoods adjacent to the Roanoke River and the South Jefferson Redevelop- ment Area (SJRA). The area along the river is lined with diverse industrial sites, including light and heavy manufacturing properties, lumber yards, and bulk oil storage facilities. Six brownfield sites have been identified in the river's floodplain. About 32 percent of residents in the adjacent neighborhoods live below the poverty level, and nearly 40 percent are minorities. The SJRA is an industrial rail corridor, where nearly 75 percent of the properties are deteriorated or underused. Fourteen brownfields have been identified Revolving Loan Fund Grant _^~N, vNewl &2007 $1,000,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Roanoke for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the City of Roanoke will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities at sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Grant funds will be used to market and operate the revolving loan fund, plan and oversee clean- ups, and support community outreach activities. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/ brownfields. EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team 215-814-3129 http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm Grant Recipient: City of Roanoke, VA 540-853-5808 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti- ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. in the SJRA, which has a poverty rate of 33.5 percent. The city plans to redevelop the sites along the Roanoke River as greenways, parks, and riverfront trails. The city's plans for the SJRA include a walkable, mixed-use urban village with biomedical and other high-tech businesses expected to generate as many as 2,500 jobs and connect the downtown area to a major regional hospital. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-07-142 May 2007 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |