Greenspace  Uses for
           Brownfields  Properties
           It Is  Easy Being Green
c,
                                  Greenspace
     'reating greenspace from brownfield properties is a
growing component of EPA's Brownfields Program. Along with
the commercial, residential, and industrial redevelopment of
brownfields, restoring these properties to greenspace has become
an increasingly viable option. Reusing brownfields as greenspace
can benefit a surrounding community in ways that traditional
redevelopment projects can not: offering aesthetic appeal, restored
natural habitat, and outdoor recreational options.

Oftentimes, municipalities and nonprofit groups work to transform
brownfields into greenspace that is accessible to all members of
the community. For many nonprofit groups, EPA's Brownfields
Program provides much-needed gap funding to make these
projects a reality, and the resulting community benefits cannot be
measured by economic indicators. But whether it is a nonprofit,
a city, a redevelopment agency, or some other entity steering the
process, everyone benefits from added greenspace in a community.

Greenspace is the Place to Start in Fitchburg

In the Boston suburb of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the
transformation of the old Hope Rubber Company factory into
a recreational park has jump-started a series of redevelopment
projects throughout the city. In 2001, the City of Fitchburg used
a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant to assess the site
of the former rubber factory that closed in the 1990s after a long
history of industrial use. The site contained a 35,000 square-
foot building that had burned down, leaving a pile of rubble and
unknown contamination. Following assessments,  more than 150
cubic yards of contaminated material were removed, and the
affected area was covered with 18 inches of clean soil. The new
park opened in 2003.

The design and construction of Fitchburg's Riverfront Park was
a collaborative effort that included a citizen's committee, the
city and its redevelopment authority, local business leaders, and
federal agencies. The 1.6-acre park runs along the Nashua River
and contains a promenade, benches, and open lawn that provides
The former Hope Rubber Plant in Fitchburg, Massachusetts
   has been converted to the new Riverfront Park.
                                                             JUST  THE   FACTS:
                                                             • Greenspace can include parks (for
                                                              people and pets), open space, trails,
                                                              nature sanctuaries, and recreational
                                                              sports areas.
                                                             • With the proper cleanup activities,
                                                              even brownfields properties
                                                              contaminated with petroleum can
                                                              be safely reused as greenspace.
                                                             • Greenspace can serve as
                                                              neighborhood gathering spaces for
                                                              youth and adults to build a sense of
                                                              community.
                                                                 "We are fans of greenspace.
                                                                 Our focus is on getting people
                                                                  to think about Fitchburg as
                                                                      a place to live."
                                                                            - Steve Bonavita,
                                                                Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority
                                                continued

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             a touch of green to downtown Fitchburg. Future plans include the installation of a band shell for
             music and other performances, an overlook to the river, and additional seating.

             Riverfront Park's success has spurred additional redevelopment efforts in the city, such as
             renovating North Street, a major thoroughfare in the city; working to improve downtown traffic
             patterns and parking; developing a river walk; and assessing additional brownfields within the
             city to engage developers. The Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority received EPA Brownfields
             grants in 2003 and 2005 to assess other properties that the city and the Authority are targeting
             for potential redevelopment. As said by Steve Bonavita of the Redevelopment Authority,
             "We are fans of greenspace.  Our focus is on getting people to think about Fitchburg as a place
             to live."

             Recreational Greenspace Benefits Youth in Atlanta

             The Atlanta Youth Soccer Association (AYS A) in Atlanta, Georgia, began its brownfields
             cleanup and redevelopment project with the end goal in mind. A few years ago, the chosen site
             was an abandoned truck depot; now this recreational greenspace comprises 7.5 acres of full-
             scale soccer fields, smaller fields for warm up, a concession stand, and a maintenance building.

             AYSA is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that acquired the property to build a  soccer
             complex for its league. The organization raised nearly $2 million from Georgia philanthropic
             foundations, the local community, and its members; however, due to the location of the property
             and county zoning, it was not eligible for any local or state funding to assist in assessment and
             or cleanup. EPA's Brownfields Program filled this funding gap with a $200,000 Cleanup grant
             in 2004. AYS A President Janet Gross said of the EPA funding, "EPA was a great legitimizer for
             our project. The EPA funding gave us some status because it showed that we passed a level of
             scrutiny in a national competition."

             Using the Cleanup grant, AYSA addressed the 10-acre property, which had underground storage
             tanks, asphalt paving, a loading dock, and four large outbuildings comprising the former truck
             terminal. A portion of the grant was used to demolish most of the paving (paving was not
             removed where the new parking lot sits), the dock structure, and outbuildings. The grant was
             also used to address five known, and one hidden, underground storage tanks. Once cleanup
             began, contractors found additional buried debris, asbestos, and a granite slab; however, no soil
             or water contamination was discovered. All of the property's debris was either ground up and
             safely covered, or removed from the property entirely. Additional funding for the cleanup effort
             came from AYSA's own fundraising efforts. AYSA worked diligently with EPA to complete the
             project more than a year before the targeted completion date.

             AYSA's soccer fields are currently open for league play.  This recreational greenspace project
             is an innovative reuse for an abandoned brownfield that had been of no value to anyone.
             Additionally, the AYSA Arizona Avenue Youth Soccer Complex provides a safe and healthy
             haven to the more than 1,000 children that participate in Atlanta youth soccer.
                                                                                             continued
Brownfields Success Story
Greenspace Uses for Brownfields Properties:
It Is Easy Being Green
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
      EPA 560-F-10-207
             July 2010
www. epa.gov/brownfields/

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      Greenspace as Nature Sanctuary in St. Paul

      In St. Paul, Minnesota, the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary provides
      serene greenspace for urban residents. Since  1997 several local
      units of government in the Twin Cities metropolitan area have
      received EPA Brownfields Program grants, and in 2003 the City
      of St. Paul received two Cleanup grants totaling $400,000 to
      clean up hazardous  substances and petroleum on property along
      the Mississippi River. The targeted property,  a 27-acre parcel of
      land close to downtown St. Paul, had become covered with trash,
      abandoned appliances, and contaminated soil. The property was
      once a railyard and was known to be contaminated with heavy
      metals and petroleum.
                      Bruce Vento Park in St. Paul, Minnesota.
     A community group, the Lower Phalen Creek Project, recognized the potential of this site and
     worked to secure funding, perform cleanup, and reuse the property as open space. The Lower
     Phalen Creek Project is a public/private partnership composed of more than 20 organizations
     whose goal to turn this blighted property into the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and link it to
     an existing trail system was realized in 2005. The project leveraged funding from the National
     Park Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Trust for Public Land
     to acquire and convey the land to the City of St. Paul. The city used its EPA Cleanup grant
     to clean up hazardous substances on a  portion of the property designated for recreation, and
     to clean up petroleum from a portion designated for conservation. This cleanup included the
     removal of 7,500 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil,  the redistribution of 20,000 tons of
     soil, and the replacement of another 25,000 tons of soil to cover the property.
     After cleanup, much of the property was restored as natural habitat, with 10
     set aside for recreational purposes. The property now provides a continuous
     natural area along the river from Indian Mounds Regional Park to Swede
     Hollow Park. The Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary is maintained by the
     city and is currently open to the public; wetlands projects, plantings,
     and other restoration activities will continue for several years to come.
     This project is a classic tale of greenspace redevelopment—restoring a
     contaminated natural property in a prime location to its proper use.

     The Future is Green
                        acres
                          CONTACTS:
                          For more information contact
                          EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land
                          Revitalization: (202) 566-2777
                          Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at:
                          www.epa.gov/brownfields/
      One of the four pillars of EPA's Brownfields Program is Sustainable
      Reuse, which translates to enhancing a community's long-term quality of
      life. As long as communities continue to regard the redevelopment of former
      brownfields into greenspace as important, the amount of greenspace will increase.
      And the more greenspace a community has, the healthier it is. With technical support from
      EPA and other federal,  state, and local agencies, greenspace projects will continue to be a
      viable reuse option for brownfields.
Brownfields Success Story
Greenspace Uses for Brownfields Properties:
It Is Easy Being Green
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
      EPA 560-F-10-207
             July 2010
www. epa.gov/brownfields/

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