United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-261
November 1998
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
&EPA
Brownfields Showcase
Community
Lowell, MA
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is
complicated by real or perceived contamination. In May 1997, Vice President Gore announced a Brownfields National Partnership
to bring together the resources of more than 15 federal agencies to address local cleanup and reuse issues in a more coordinated
manner. This multi-agency partnership has pledged support to 16 "Brownfields Showcase Communities"—models demonstrating
the benefits of collaborative activity on brownfields. The designated Brownfields Showcase Communities are distributed across
the country and vary by size, resources, and community type. A wide range of support will be leveraged, depending on the
particular needs of each Showcase Community.
BACKGROUND
The Brownfields National Partnership has selected the
City of Lowell as a Brownfields Showcase Commu-
nity. Like many old, industrial cities, Lowell has almost
no vacant land available for development. Though the
market for commercial office and manufacturing space
in Lowell continues to improve, most of the inquiries for
industrial space cannot be satisfied because of limited
supply. Returning the city's brownfields properties to
productive use is critical to Lowell's industrial develop-
ment and job creation efforts.
With a poverty rate of 18%, Lowell has 58% fewer
manufacturing jobs than it did ten years ago. The city
has recently achieved
great success in redevel-
oping its old mill proper-
ties, ash dumps, and other
disposal sites into new fa-
cilities that create jobs for
local residents. The City
identified 16-17 priority
brownfields sites for as-
sessment and testing, and
attracted several large,
experienced developers
to redesign and market
several of these properties.
Community Profile
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell has developed creative approaches to attracting
investors for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment,
including use of the Lowell Development and Finance
Corporation (a consortium of local stakeholder banks)
and tax increment financing. Community members, pri-
vate businesses, and federal, state, and local agencies
all play an integral part in the planning and implementa-
tion of city-based redevelopment projects.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Since the inception of Lowell's brownfields program in
September 1996, the city has leveraged more than $ 100
million in public and private investment. Highlights of
Lowell's brownfields redevelopment program include:
• Completing an
inventory of 52 vacant
or underutilized
industrial properties
within the city, and
identifying sites with
the greatest re-
development potential
tocreatealistof!6-17
priority brownfields
properties;
With almost no vacant land available
fordevelopment, Lowell hastargeted
16-17 brownfields sites. Lowell's
redevelopment efforts have
leveraged more than $100 million in
funding. One brownfields property is
now home to a $30 million sports
arena and a $12 million baseball
stadium.
Development of a $30 million sports arena and a $12
million professional baseball stadium on the former
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Lawrence Mills site, which has a 170-year history of
industrial use;
• Supporting an $8 million bond to initiate the Lawrence
Mills redevelopment project, andraising $ 1.6million
inprivate donations. This site couldnowaccommodate
as many as 2,450 new jobs;
• Attracting developers who have invested more than
$ 10 million into the 400,000 square-foot Wannalancit
Millsproject, and $36million into the 700,000 square-
foot Boott Mills project; and
• Leveraging $9 million in funding from the U.S.
Department ofTransportationforaRiverwalk Project
that will connect Lowell' sNational Historic Park, the
nation's first urbannational park, by a walkway to the
University of Massachusetts and the two new sports
facilities.
On average, for every $1 of public funding, Lowell
has leveraged $12 of private investment.
SHOWCASE COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES AND
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Lowell plans to use the Showcase Communities project
to continue the substantial success of its brownfields
program. The city has eleven well defined goals for
development and growth, and has made progress on
each. These goals are: conducting public awareness
strategies to educate the public on the benefits of liv-
ing and working in Lowell; identifying the city's eco-
nomic base, and evaluating strengths, weaknesses, and
opportunities; developing economic development strat-
egies for the Economic Opportunity Areas (EGAs) in
the city; establishing mechanisms for implementing the
Division of Planning and Development's (DPD) financing
programs; implementing marketing strategies for busi-
ness retention and recruitment; developing a business
retention program that will help the DPD evaluate the
city's industry base; working with the Lowell National
Historical Park to support historic preservation; devel-
oping a procedure for a streamlined permitting assis-
tance process; working with the federally-designated
Enterprise Community to open a Business Assistance
Center to aid new or expanding businesses; implement-
ing the strategies outlined in the University of Massa-
chusetts at Lowell report on the city's industrial base;
and continuing the work of the EPA Brownfields Pilot
program.
Contacts
Division of Planning and
Development
City of Lowell
(978)970-4276
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 1
(617)573-9681
For more information on the Brownfields Showcase Communities,
visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/showcase.htm
Brownfields Showcase Community
November 1998
Lowell, Massachusetts
EPA 500-F-98-261
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