Un4 & Community Revitglizgtion
BROWN FIELDS
Rebuilch'ncj
New England
through
Bt-ownfi'el4s
Investments
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
EPA-901-R-04-002
April 2004
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Contaminated lands
can rob a community
of its economic
potential. Thousands
of New England properties are
abandoned because owners or
developers fear environmental
contamination and the associated
liability. Called Brownfields, these
properties are often unused while
development consumes valuable open
space. Smart investments lead to smart
growth decisions. New partnerships
are emerging among government
agencies and private investors to
restore and reuse these parcels.
Since 1994, EPA has invested $74
million in grants to more than 1 00 New
England communities, states, and
agencies. This has resulted in another
$41 0 million in leveraged funding from
government and private sources for
cleanup and redevelopment, while also
leveraging thousands of new jobs.
Brownfield properties across New
England have been turned into
schools, housing, playing fields,
new businesses and green space.
This booklet presents a few examples
of how Brownfield dollars have
revitalized neighborhoods and
improved the quality of life in
many communities.
Economic Development
New business ventures are thriving at over a dozen formerly contaminated
properties in New England as a result of EPA investments, including:
In Chelsea, MA, a $17 million, ISO-room Wyndham Garden Hotel
employing 100 staff opened on a 65-acre Brownfields parcel and now
contributes $400,000 annually in tax revenues to the city.
In Stamford, CT, a former Brownfield property is now a $1.5 million,
ten employee, Harley Davidson retail facility.
In Nashua, NH, the five-acre Whitney Screw site was converted into
50,000 sq.ft. of retail space
that includes Goodale's Bike
Shop, the largest bicycle
dealer in New England and
resulted in an investment of
$2 million in private funds.
In Lew/ston, A/IE, a 1.2
million sq.ft. mill building now
employs 1,000 people in the
new Banknorth facility,
restaurants, and other
business enterprises and
leveraged $41 million instate,
private and local funds.
In New M//forc/, CT, the
72-acre Century Brass
manufacturing plant will
be converted into a mixed
use commercial and light
industrial center promising
new local revenues and jobs.
In Londonderry, NH,
the Northesast Enterprise
Automobile Distribution
Center sits on a 5-acre former Brownfields site. Following an initial
federal investment of $50,000 to determine environmental risks on
the property, the state secured additional funding to cleanup the site
and prepare it for redevelopment. Local revenues are enhanced by
vehicle registration fees paid to the city.
-I-
cleanup and redevelopmentformer
Vhitnev Screw Drooertv Nashua NH
ates Mill, Lewiston, ME
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Land § Community Revitglization
BROWN FIELDS
In Old Town, ME, an EPA $20,000 environmental assessment at the
former Lily-Tulip paper plate factory site on the banks of the Penobscot River,
and the former owners' investment
^g of $100,000 to clean up the site,
resulted in a prime piece of real estate in the downtown area ready for
redevelopment. The 3-acre property has new retail space with an outdoor
store, museum, map store, and restaurant, as well as a popular park
and public walkways. All told, this property adds $21,300 yearly in tax
revenues, and has brought 40 jobs to the area.
In Gi/copee, MA, television Channel 22 built a $2 million state-of-
the-art news and production studio on an 8.5-acre former lumberyard
and bedding factory site . EPA conducted an environmental assessment
that led to cleanup of the site, making the real estate valuable to the
New shops at Old Town, ME television station as an investor.
In Westfield, MA, a 6.6-acre site of an old boiler foundry is now a
busy Stop and Shop supermarket in the heart of downtown. EPA's $175,000 investment leveraged another
$1 million in federal cleanup funds allowing the redevelopment to occur.
In Northampton, MA, the city's downtown fire station now houses the
non-profit Media Education Foundation and the Woodstar Cafe. EPA's initial
$98,000 environmental assessment raised a question about potential
contamination in a hotspot area which was then determined not to present a
problem for the property's redevelopment. The project brought nearly 20 new
jobs to Main Street.
In Springfield, MA, the city is seeing new tax revenues of $100,000
annually, the result of commercial redevelopment and expansion of a former
public works facility. The project used $50,000 in EPA Brownfields funding for
an environmental assessment that then leveraged $5.6 million in redevelopment
investments. The project led to the retention of 200 local jobs.
Woodstar G
'afe, Northampton, MA
New ActionAir Systems, Manchester, C
In Worcester, MA, a 129-room Marriott Courtyard hotel sits on an
old foundry site generating $50,000 in new tax revenues and providing
50 permanent jobs. Marriott's $15 million investment came after EPA's
$31,000 in Brownfields funds for environmental site assessment.
In Windsor, VT, using some of the $350,000 in Brownfields funding
to the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission for site
assessment and cleanup, an eight person accounting firm was built and
is operating on a site where low levels of industrial waste contaminants
were found in groundwater.
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In Manchester, CJ, EPA conducted a targeted Brownfields assessment on the site of a machine parts manufacturer
that paved the way for ActionAir Systems to build its offices on the site. This redevelopment opportunity retained 40
local jobs and meant that the property would be back on the tax rolls, the first time in more than a decade.
In New Bedford, MA, the first industrial park is under construction at a former textile mill on a 25-acre parcel
that will generate 350 new jobs. In 1999, EPA made an initial investment of $61,000 for a site assessment that
showed some contamination that may have posed a redevelopment risk. With additional funding through EPA's
Brownfields Showcase Community program, and matched with funds from other federal and state sources, a
multi-million dollar cleanup and redevelopment were made possible.
In the Massachusetts cities of Everett, Maiden and Medford, the Mystic Valley Development Commission
is redeveloping 207 acres of Brownfields sites into a modern, productive, and technologically sophisticated
telecommunications center of approximately 1.8 million square feet of new office, research and development, and
manufacturing space. The TeleCom City project has received $1.8 million in federal services and funds and will
result in new tax revenues and new jobs.
Parks, Recreation an4 Open Space
As development pressure mounts, New England's urban communities are trying to balance growth with access to parks
and open space. Dozens of abandoned or contaminated properties and more than 100 acres of valuable urban lands
in New England are now in the public domain where residents enjoy open space, greenways, waterfront parks, community
and organic gardens and walk/bikeways, including:
In Providence, R/, 39 acres of valued urban land are being preserved
as part of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway project. Additional federal,
| state and local investments of $ 1 million each also help make the Greenway
project a reality.
In New Britain and Hartford, CT, abandoned sites were converted
into organic and community gardens servicing local residents and several
of the region's restaurants, health food stores and grocery stores. These
projects resulted in over $1.2 million in site improvements.
Itchburg,
MA
In Fitchburg, MA,
Ledyard, Derby and New
London, CT, reuse of
Brownfields sites is providing new access to valuable waterfront with
the conversion of six acres into parks, marinas, boardwalks and
bikepaths.
In Bridgeport and Waterbury, CT, Lewiston, ME, Greenfield,
NH and Worcesfei; MA, similar successful reuse projects can be found.
Atotal of 40 abandoned acres have been turned into parks and recreational
facilities in the heart of these cities, spurring other development projects.
Irban Oaks Farm, New Britain, CT
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Sports an4 Entertainment Facilities
Throughout New England, many former junk yards, dumps, and abandoned
manufacturing facilities have been converted into sports and entertainment
arenas, ball fields and golf courses. Many of these projects were key to
downtown revitalization. Here are just a few examples:
Un4 & Communfty Revrtglizgtion
BROWN FIELDS
In Bridgeport, C7~, the former 8.5-acre Jenkins Valve Site was
converted into a 5,500-seat
ball park, skating rink and
museum. The ball park was
built with $ 1 1 million in
private investments, $1
million of local funding, and
$2 million in state funding.
This project added 68 jobs to
the local economy.
ridgeport Stadium, Bridgeport, CT
In Providence, Rl, a
25-acre sand and gravel
operation found through a
Brownfields assessment to be contaminated with lead and arsenic
now sports the Buttonhole Golf Course for inner city youths and
others to enjoy.
In Lowell, MA, the Tsongas Arena and LeLacheur Park are state-of-
the-art sports facilities built on marginal properties following $70,000
in EPA grants for initial site
studies. The Tsongas Arena is a
7,800-seat facility hosting
concerts, festivals and sporting
events while Le Lacheur Park is
a 4,710-seat baseball and
football stadium. Together
scores of new jobs were created,
and initial investments were
matched by $42 million for the
development.
Visit www.epa.gov/ne/brownfields
Funding
BrownfieMs
Cleanup
EPA's Brownfields program was
launched in 1995 as a pilot in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and has
grown to include investments in more
than 800 communities nationwide. In
New England, the program is credited
with assessing and cleaning up more
than 750 properties. Since signing
the landmark Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization
Act into law on January 1 1, 2002,
President Bush has three times
requested a doubling of funds for the
program to $210 million. In 2003,
Congress approved nearly $167
million and then gave an additional
$3.4 million for2004. The President's
2005 request again includes $210
million for Brownfields cleanup, a
nearly $40 million, or 24 percent,
increase over the 2004 Consolidated
Appropriations legislation level.
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School, E4ucgtional an4 Municipal Buil4ings
As available land becomes even more scarce, communities are redeveloping Brownfields into much needed educational
and public service facilities. Below are a few examples:
In Everett, MA, a 5-acre former commercial property was converted to a top notch educational facility serving 950
students. The Madeline English School opened its doors for the 2003-2004 school year with $1 1 million in state
financing to construct the much needed grammar school.
Chesfer and Lowell, MA, will have similar stories to tell when former
Brownfields sites in those communities are cleaned up and construction is
complete on new school buildings already in the works.
In Springfield, MA, a 47,700 sq. ft. former school building is now a
Head Start day care facility, thanks to a $20,000 Brownfields assessment
and $1 million in private investments. This property now adds $30,000
annually to the tax base and leveraged 34 new jobs.
5S5WSH SCHOOL
In New Haven, CT, the 4,300 sq.ft. "r" Kids Family Center opened its
doors to provide services for 120 fosterand adopted children and theirfamilies.
EPA gave a $267,000 Brownfields grant to the city, $20,000 of which was
used at this site for environmental assessment leading to the redevelopment
of the former commercial property.
In Providence, Rl, the YMCA of Greater Providence borrowed $500,000 from the Rhode Island Brownfields
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund to clean up the former Gorham Manufacturing site for redevelopment into a state-of-the-
art YMCA recreational facility that includes a gymnasium, day camp, and community services. This will provide important
social services to one of Providence's low-income neighborhoods.
r~ I i f i i
Funqmg to States
States and tribes play a significant role in identifying,
cleaning up, and redeveloping Brownfield
properties, and they spend millions of dollars each
year to support these efforts. Over the past few years,
EPA has tripled its funding of state Brownfield
programs allowing them to establish or expand
voluntary cleanup programs and to conduct site
assessments and cleanups. EPA also funds state
revolving loan programs that make available low
interest loans and grants to qualified parties to
clean up Brownfields. The loan usually requires the
grantee to contribute only 20% of the costs. Rhode
Island and New Hampshire and Connecticut have
already set up state revolving loan programs to help
finance Brownfields work.
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
Total
State Agency
Funding
since 1994
$ 2,890,627
$ 1,270,437
$ 3,510,974
$ 3,163,662
$ 1,936,935
$ 765,030
$13,537,665
Total Funding
in each state
since 1994
$16,715,627
$ 5,799,454
$30,504,225
$ 7,443,662
$ 8,744,935
$ 4,715,030
$73,922,933
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A, . D ., c p r., Un4 & Community Realization
Also in rrov/aence, bave the Bay - a non-profit environmental organization, ^,^
is building its headquarters on a 6-acre landfill at Fields Point where it is D KX_/ W IN I 11 LL'O
constructing a 17,600 sq.ft. marine educational center. EPA provided
$845,000 in Brownfields seed money for this project that included a site
assessment and then a cleanup loan. The site is located on Narraganset Bay and offers spectacular views and
resources for environmental education.
In Gardner MA, the Gardner Public Library is being built on the site of a former furniture manufacturing
facility. EPA provided $200,000 to the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission to identify potential real
estate for reuse and to conduct environmental assessments on those properties. As a result, local and state funds
were leveraged to meet 80 percent of the needed $7.6 million for cleanup and construction of the library.
In Bratf/eboro,V^ a four story, 120,000 sq.ft. intermodel transportation center recently opened on two city
owned Brownfields properties that provide important links for regional buses, Amtrak, and taxi service, as well as
providing parking and access for pedestrians and cyclists to Brattleboro's downtown area. EPA provided seed
funding for site assessment work that allowed the city to leverage nearly $8 million in other federal, state and
local funds allowing the project to move ahead.
In New Ipswich, NH, the town converted a nine-acre abandoned construction company site into town
offices, a police station and office space for their schools. The town used $53,000 in EPA funds to assess the
property, then used its own funds to do the cleanup and redevelopment.
Housing
New England's housing demands are great. Redevelopment of downtown parcels is transforming town and city
centers into lively and convenient neighborhoods to live in. Each of the following stories were made possible with
a grant from EPA that determined that site reuse was possible.
In Burlington, VT, a 2.6-acre former bus maintenance facility
has been converted into 25 rental units of affordable housing,
greenspace and commercial space.
In Boston, MA, a 1 00-unit condominium building is being built on
a former industrial site. EPA's initial investment has led to a $1 million
cleanup being paid for by the developer and another $1 million
investment from the city.
In Hartford, CT, a planned renovation of a historic mansion on a
1 7-acre Brownfield site will include 56 townhouses of new construction.
The redevelopment will add $400,000 annually in tax revenue.
In Lynn, MA, a former laundry facility has been converted into five
new single family homes for low and moderate income families.
In Gardner, MA, three single-family affordable homes are nearing completion on a former manufacturing
site where contaminated soils needed to be cleaned up before redevelopment could occur. EPA provided a
Groundbreaking with Mayor Menino,
505 Tremont Street, Boston, hlA
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rtle Street Affordable Housi
$200,000 grant to the Montachusett Regional Planning
Commission to identify potential real estate for reuse and to
conduct environmental assessments on those properties. Each
home is expected to sell for $125,000.
In Lowell, MA, the city used a portion of its $200,000
Brownfields grant to determine potential uses of an 1 1,0000 sq.ft.
commercial/industrial property. The property now consists of 49 loft- style artists residences, a cafe, retail space,
and art gallery. With $3.9 million in private development investments, the real estate contributes $400,000
annually to Lowell's tax base and has a current value of $9 million.
In Somerv///e, MA, the Visiting Nurses Association demolished
an old mattress manufacturing facility to construct 97 units of
assisted living needy seniors. The city used EPA Brownfields funds
for an initial site investigation that determined redevelopment of the
parcel was possible.
Former Vermont bus maintenance
facility, Burlington, I'
EPA provides funding and technical assistance to
local, tribal, and state governments, to assess, safely
clean, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Programs
address the environmental, health, and economic
concerns associated with brownfields.
EPA New EngUn4
Brownfiel4s Tegm Contacts-.
Visit www.epa.gov/ne/brownfields
for additional stories and
information on how EPA's
Brownfields program is rebuilding
New England, community-by-
community.
Program Coordinator and
Cleanup Grants
Lynne Jennings
617.918.1210
jennings.lynne@epa.gov
Targeted Brownfields
Assessments
Jim Byrne
617-9181389
byrne.james@ep.gov
Revolving Loan Fund
James Chow
617.918.1394
chow.james@epa.gov
Showcase Communities and
Assessment Grants
Diane Kelley
617.918.1424
kelley.diane@epa.gov
Job Training Grants
Chris Lombard
617.918.1305
lombard.chris@epa.gov
Project Officers
Joonu Andrews
617.918.1630
andrews.joonu@epa.gov
John Smaldone
617.918.1207
smaldone.john@epa.gov
Myra Schwartz
617.918.1696
schwartz.myra@epa.gov
Legal Advisor
Rona Gregory
617.918.1096
gregory.rona@epa.gov
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