United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-99-053
May 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
>>EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
Battle Creek, Ml
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
up to $200,000 over two 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 brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans forthe 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
Battle Creek (population 53,514) had several employers
close, which, coupled with the poor economic climate
of the period, resulted in a significant population
decline between 1950 and 1980. The devastating
effects of employment and population loss followed by
industry and housing abandonment has crippled the
economy of Battle Creek. Several of the plants that
closed were located near the downtown and inner-city
neighborhoods. Cleaning up and redeveloping these
properties will provide the opportunity for accessible
jobs near these inner-city neighborhoods. Although all
of the properties within the City boundaries will be
eligible for the BCRLF program, older industrial sites
in low income areas will be given priority. These
targeted neighborhoods are in the Community
Development Block Grant low and moderate income
areas and also are designated as distressed areas. These
areas have lostmorethan 15 percent of their population
between 1980 and 1990, have very low median family
income with 29 percent of the families living below the
poverty line. Thereisa 17 percent unemployment rate.
BCRLF OBJECTIVES
Battle Creek's BCRLF will be used to furtherthe City's
Master Plan adopted in 1997 to ensure redevelopment
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Battle Creek, Michigan
Contacts:
Battle Creek Planning
Department
(616) 966-3320
Date of Announcement:
May 25,1999
Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area:
Properties throughout the
City, with older industrial
sites in the low income
areas of downtown and the
inner-city given priority
Region 5 Brownfields
Coordinator
(312) 886-7576
Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at:
www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/
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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of older industrial sites for land uses compatible with
surrounding properties. It will also be used to further
the goals of Battle Creek Unlimited, an economic
development team working to establish a formal
brownfields cleanup and redevelopmentprocess. The
BCRLF can significantly further the City's goal of
providing the necessary tools and incentives to
encourage private investment in brownfield
redevelopment. The availability of this fund will fill a
void in the existing menu of incentives by providing
loans to private businesses. More than ten sites, have
been identified as potential site/ borrowers.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
The City of Battle Creek will serve as lead agency and
the City's Public Works Department will serve as site
manager. The City will contract with Battle Creek
Unlimited, a quasi-public, nonprofit agency, to serve
as fundmanager. Loans will have an adjustable interest
rate and a $4,000 application fee will be charged to
cover administrative expenses.
LEVERAGING
It is anticipated that Battle Creek's $500,000 BCRLF
award will be complemented by $250,000 in City funds
and $250,000 from Battle Creek Unlimited. Other
potential sources of supplementary funding include
Clean Michigan Initiative funds, Michigan's Tax
Increment Finance Authority, the Battle Creek
Downtown Development Authority, the Battle Creek
Investment Growth Fund, the Michigan Renaissance
Fund, the Michigan Transportation Economic
Development Fund, and the National Trustfor Historic
Places. In addition, successful redevelopment of
brownfields will allow the Brownfield Redevelopment
Authority to capture the increased tax revenue due to
redevelopment of a site for the purposes of furthering
environmental activity necessary forthe redevelopment
of contaminated sites. These captured dollars will be
invested in the revolving loan fund to further capitalize
the account.
Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Battle Creek, Michigan
May 1999 EPA 500-F-99-053
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