United States
                   Environmental
                   Protection Agency
                   Washington,  D.C. 20460
 Solid Waste
 and Emergency
 Response (5101)
 EPA 500-F-00-007
 April 2000
 www.epa.gov/brownfields/
  <&EPA  Brownfields Supplemental
                   Assistance
                                                                    Chicago, IL
 Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
                    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 for the 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

EPA awarded the City of Chicago supplemental
assistance for  its  Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot.  Several areas of Chicago are
characterized by mixed residential and industrial land
uses. Abandoned industrial properties have created
economic blight and  hampered redevelopment. In
1993, Chicago established the Chicago Brownfields
Redevelopment Initiative to revitalize the  city's
abandoned and contaminated properties. The Initiative
currently manages about 26 sites and is comprised of
an interdepartmental team of project managers from
the city Departments of Environment, Planning and
Development, and Law.

The city's success in returning contaminated and/or
abandoned sites to productive use is demonstrated
through a number of ongoing redevelopment proj ects.
For example, it was recently announced that a $190
million minority-owned television studio will be built
on a former dump; and a plastics molding factory,
which will employ 600 people, will be developed on
another abandoned site.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
     Chicago, Ilinois
Date of Announcement:
March 2000

Amount: $150,000

Profile:  The Pilot will support
Chicago'ssuccessful brownfields
program through supporting
environmental assessments at
approximately 25 brownfields
sites throughout the city.
Contacts:
Chicago Department
of Environment
(312)744-9139
 Regional Brownfields Team
 U.S. EPA-Region 5
 (312)886-1960
     Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at:
        http://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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OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES

The objective of this brownfields pilot is to continue
the successful work begun by the City of Chicago
through supporting additional  environmental
assessments at brownfield  sites. More  than  100
potential additional brownfield sites exist and will be
evaluated based on access and control, estimates of
cleanup costs,  and property value. Most of these
areas have received special designations  (model
industrial corridors, planned manufacturing districts,
and tax increment financing districts).

To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to:

• Conduct   environmental   assessments   at
  approximately 25 priority brownfield sites throughout
  the city;

• Facilitate industrial and commercial redevelopment
  at abandoned industrial sites; and

• Continue to draw on a variety of funding mechanisms
  for assessments and other  activities necessary to
  redevelop brownfield sites.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this factsheetare subject to change.
 Brownfields Supplemental Assistance                                                       Chicago, Illinois
 April 2000                                                                         EPA 500-F-00-007

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