xvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency FORMER DICKS AUTOMOTIVE EPA 560-F-12-003 March 2012 Johnstown, PA Assessment Grant Assessment Grant Opens the Door for Redevelopment ADDRESS: 633 Franklin St., Johnstown, PA 15901 PROPERTY SIZE: 0.2 acres FORMER USE: Commercial - former automotive store CURRENT USE: Biosciences facility EPA GRANT RECIPIENT: Johnstown Redevelopment Authority received a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant in 2004 PROJECT PARTNERS: Johnstown Redevelopment Authority, City of Johnstown, Johnstown Area Regional Industries, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, ITSI Bioscience Research The completed Bioscience Research facility PROJECT BACKGROUND: Located in Johnstown, PA, Dick's Automotive opened in 1949 and operated for 56 years. After its closure in 2005, the property sat empty and unused for two years. In 2004, the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority was awarded a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant to assess hazardous waste contamination at several city brownfields. The Redevelopment Authority used $2,000 of the grant to assess contamination levels at the property. The assessment was conducted in May 2006 and found no contamination, allowing redevelopment of the property to proceed. Redevelopment began in June 2007. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: • Leveraged $720,000 in state funding for redevelopment • Leveraged $l .2 million in private-sector funding for redevelopment • Opened a commercial biosciences facility • Redevelopment leveraged 27 jobs OUTCOME: Having leveraged $l .92 million from state and private sector sources, redevelopment of the former Dick's Automotive property is seen as a significant success for both the city and the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority. The State of Pennsylvania provided $720,000 for redevelopment while ITSI Bioscience Research, the property's new owner and occupant, invested $l .2 million. The resulting biosciences research facility leveraged 27 jobs. As a result of the Brownfields Assessment Grant, the return on investment for this property is $960 per $l of grant funds spent. Assessment of the property led to investment for the community and ultimately the development of a high-tech commercial business. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit the EPA Brownfields website at www.epa.gov/Region 10/brownfields/ or call EPA Region 3 at (21 5) 814-5000 For additional data and geographic information for this and other Brownfields Grants, please visit EPA's Cleanups in My Community - http://iaspub.epa.gov/Cleanups/ ------- |