United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA Region 9 Brownfields Program Success Stories
Proposed Civic Center • Visalia, CA
I
v-U
City Cleans Railroad Site for Future Civic Center and Park
Project Description
Property Address:
Property Size:
Former Use:
Contaminants Found:
Current Use:
Planned Use:
Current Owner:
Burke Street north of Center
Avenue,Visalia, CA
11.2 acres
Railroad, residential, auto repair
shop, warehouses, cannery,
packing house, auto wrecking
Lead and cadmium
Vacant with railroad
transversing site
New Civic Center and Park
City of Visalia
Project Partners
• City of Visalia
• California Department of Toxic Substances Control
• U.S. EPA
Property History
The 11.2-acre brownfield property, comprising two
parcels, is located in the eastern downtown area of
the City of Visalia, California. Visalia is located
in California's fertile agricultural basin known as
the San Joaquin Valley. Primarily, Visalia's eastern
downtown area was agricultural land until the 1900s
when land was developed to support agricultural
and food processing activities and later an industrial
district. From the early 1900s until the city purchased
the site in 2004, the site was owned by the Union
Pacific Railroad. Prior activities at the site include
small dwellings; an auto repair shop; warehouses; a
cannery, packing house, paper product storage and
glass and paint warehouses, and a packing shed; a
steering shop and a cooling shop; two auto wrecking
yards; and a rail house. After conducting Phase I and
II assessments during 2002-2003, the city acquired
the properties in 2004 with plans to build a proposed
civic center. The city was awarded $400,000 in EPA
Brownfields Assessment grants in 2004 to conduct
Removing contaminated soil from site (above)
Site ready for Civic Center and Park redevelopment (below)
Highlights
* The cleanup and redevelopment plans help to realize
the community's long-standing smart growth goals for
its downtown area
• Project partners were able to overcome the challenge
of conducting assessments on a site that was composed
of multiple parcels that have undergone many different
uses in the past
additional assessments. These assessments indicated
areas of shallow soil contaminated principally with
lead and also some cadmium at four potential areas of
concern. The brownfield site had lain fallow for many
years, attracting illegal dumping, and loss of use and
aesthetic qualities of Mill Creek, which runs through
the site.
Drivers for Redevelopment
Visalia—one of the fastest growing cities in the
state—has made it a priority to keep its small town
feel, while the community has grown to nearly
126,000 people. The Visalia community is unique
-------
in its commitment to smart growth principles. In
2004, Visalia embarked on an ambitious community
planning process for the downtown. Citizens and
community leaders focused on developing a vision
for reuse of the eastern downtown area, including the
brownfield site. Residents rallied around a plan to
reclaim the site as a natural resource and to develop a
walkable mall and civic center.
The two brownfield parcels, comprising 11.2 acres,
are part of a larger site consisting of five parcels for a
total of 28.1 acres. During the EPA assessments of all
the parcels, contaminants were only detected on the
two subject parcels.
Project Results
In 2006, the Visalia Community Development
Department and the Redevelopment Agency were
awarded two EPA Brownfields Cleanup grants
totaling $236,000 to properly plan and implement
cleanup of the two former railroad properties
prior to redevelopment. The property has been
identified as the future site of the city's new civic
center. Ultimately, the proposed civic center site is
envisioned to be a mixed-use campus, which includes
city offices, private office space, retail space and park
facilities. Landscaping and trails would enhance the
riparian area around Mill Creek which flows across
the property.
Following receipt of the Brownfields Cleanup grants,
the city entered into a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement
with the California Department of Toxic Substances
Control (DTSC). The city conducted a human health
risk evaluation and worked with DTSC to establish
remedial action objectives. In 2010, approximately
420 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed
and properly disposed. Confirmation soil sampling
verified that all soil exceeding the remedial action
objectives was removed from the site. The city
received a $50,000 sub-grant from DTSC to help with
the cleanup; the city provided a 20% cost share.
Due to the economic downturn, the construction
of the new civic center has been deferred until the
economy improves. The city is currently working to
develop a park that would be 2.8 acres, the majority
of which would be on the brownfield site. The park
would include an event stage, picnic areas, water
features, trails and bicycle paths; however, there is
no funding at this time to begin construction on the
park. The city continues to seek grant opportunities
to fund park construction. Community support to
develop the civic center once economic conditions
improve remains high.
Funding Information
$150,000 Phase I and II assessments
$400,000 Brownfield Assessment grants for
additional assessment
$236,000 Brownfield Cleanup grants for site cleanup
$50,000 Sub-grant from DTSC for cleanup
$60,000 Approximate cost share provided by the
city for cleanup activities
Project Timeline
2002-2003 City conducted Phase I and II assessments
of the property
2004-2006 City purchased property; additional site
assessment conducted
2007 City issued RFP and entered into a contract
with a cleanup contractor
2008 City entered into Voluntary Cleanup
Agreement with DTSC; additional
assessment conducted at DTSC's request
2009 Risk assessment conducted; remedial action
objectives established; removal action
workplan developed
2010 Cleanup completed
2011 City seeking funding to develop parkland
portion of project
For additional information, please contact:
Kim Loeb • National Resource Conservation Manager • City of Visalia, CA • (559) 713-4530
kloeb@ci.visalia.ca.us
Brownfields Region 9 Success Story
Proposed Civic Center, Visalia, CA
April 2011
www.epa.gov/brownfields
------- |