SB, C3 Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet Allentown, PA EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders in economic development to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or con- taminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The City of Allentown was selected to receive a revolving loan fund grant. Allentown (population 106,632) is Pennsylvania's third largest city after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Beginning with iron and steel production for railroads in the 1850s and continu- ing with a host of other industries, Allentown was one of the nation's great workshops. With the changing economic landscape in recent decades, many of the city's industrial sites are now abandoned, creating blight and posing potential risks to nearby residents. An estimated 35-45 brownfields are scattered through- out the city. Many brownfields are located in an economically disadvantaged 48-square block area bordered by Tilghman Street to the north and Hamilton Street to the south, contributing to this neighborhood's decline and exacerbating the high crime rates. Minori- Revolving Loan Fund Grant New' L2003/ $1,000,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Allentown for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which Allentown will provide loans and subgrants to conduct cleanup activities. The city will focus on cleaning up brownfields in one of the city's most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods that lies within a 48-square block area bordered by Tilghman Street to the north and Hamilton Street to the south. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields. EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team 215-814-3129 http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm Grant Recipient: City of Allentown, PA 610-437-7610 Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City of Allentown has not received brownfields grant funding. The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. ties make up 68 percent of the population in this area, and 35 percent of residents live below the poverty level. Allentown has already initiated a downtown revitalization project in this neighborhood that focuses on a mixed-use brownfields redevelopment project known as Lehigh Landing. This grant will enable the city to continue to successfully clean up and redevelop its brownfields, thereby encouraging reinvestment, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life for disadvantaged residents. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-03-044 June 2003 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |