u o Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Saint Paul Port Authority, MN BACKGROUND EPA awarded the Saint Paul Port Authority supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for assessments atbrownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. Historically, the City of St. Paul's industrial development was based on its location as both a navigable hub on the Mississippi River and a center for railroad transportation. No longer dependent onrailroads or shipping, businesses moving into the St. Paul area are locating outside of the urban core. The Phalen Corridor, a 2Vz mile underused rail corridor on the east side of the city, has suffered from numerous plant closings, growing unemployment, and rising crime. An initiative has been underway since 1994 to develop a broad-based community partnership to rebuild the economic, social, and physical prosperity of St. Paul's East Side. The original EPAPilot and the city's Showcase Community program focused on conducting environmental assessments for a 32-acre western segment of Phalen Boulevard. This area will be the future location of the Westminster Junction Business Center, whichis the first phase of redevelopment conducted through the city's Phalen Corridor Initiative. The objective of the Phalen Corridor Initiative is to spark redevelopment of the East Side neighborhoods of St. Paul. OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES The supplemental funding will be used to conduct site assessments at additional sites and develop a response action plan (RAP) for the second phase of the Phalen Corridor Initiative. RAP development will encompass four properties that will comprise the Westminster Junction Business Center. Additional site assessments will be conducted at sites that will comprise the central segment of Phalen Boulevard. This segment is expected to become the site of several hundred new housing units and up to 100,000 square feet of industrial space. PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Announcement: May 2002 Amount: $150,000 Greenspace: $50,000 Profile: The Pilot targets up to five properties along the central segment of Phalen Boulevard Saint Paul Port Authority, forassessmentandplanningand Minnesota two prjmary sjtes jn the corridor area forgreenspace reuse. Contacts: St.PaulPortAuthority (651)224-5686 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA Region 5 (312)353-2513 Visit the E PA Region 5 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/ Forfurtherinformation,includingspecific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields The greenspace funding will be used to conduct assessments to support creation of open space opportunities along Phalen Boulevard. Two locations will be assessed. The first location is at the intersection of Payne Avenue and Phalen Boulevard. The second location is just west of Interstate 35E, the Trillium site, which has been acquired by the city and is a critical piece of the Trout Brook Greenway Project. The end use of these sites will be passive open space for the local community. ------- Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Formulating a Response Action Plan for the second phase of the Boulevard construction; • Convening a neighborhood task force for the new sites to discuss site selection andprioritization; • Conducting Phase II environmental assessments and developing RAPs for up to five properties in the central segment of Phalen Boulevard; and • Conducting Phase I and II site assessments for the Trillium site and two parcels along Phalen Boulevard for greenspace reuse. Thecooperativeagreementforthis Pilot hasnotyetbeen negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Solid Waste EPA 500-F-02-097 and Emergency May 2002 Response (5105) www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- |