Brownfields
Success Story
Redevelopment Gets
Fired Up
Norris town, Pennsylvania
Chartered in 1852 and located six miles north of Philadelphia in Norristown,
Pennsylvania, Humane Fire Engine Co. No. 1 moved into its first fire station in
1854 before settling into its permanent home in 1888.
Engine Co. No. 1 stood as a pillar in the community, helping those in need. But
a lack of volunteers eventually forced the firehouse to close in 2012.
The Cleanup
Two years later, in an attempt to help revive the community and find
a purpose for its historic firehouse, the City of Norristown applied for
and received a $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), A Phase I Environmental Site
Assessment conducted on the property revealed several Recognized
Environmental Conditions (RECs) associated with the historical uses of the
site. The RECs were evaluated as part of a subsequent Phase II Environmental
Site Assessment and, having identified no impacts, redevelopment was
allowed to quickly move forward.
In 2014, the property was purchased by owners who spent nearly $600,000
over two years to renovate the three-story building. The Norristown City
Council also provided a $100,000 Federal Community Development Block
Grant to cover the cost of equipment in exchange for the promise of creating
three full -time jobs at the site. The new owners were also awarded a $7,200
municipal grant to restore the facade of the historic building.
The Benefits
The Five Saints Distillery opened in 2016. The 9,000-square-foot property
features alcohol stills and a bar and displays memorabilia from the Flumane
Fire Co. The micro-distillery also acts as a music venue and hosts yoga classes
every Saturday morning. "Norristown is ready for revitaiization," the owner
says. "And we want to help make it happen."
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA Grant Recipient:
The City of Norristown, Pennsylvania
EPA Grant Type:
Brownfields Assessment
Former Use: Firehouse
Current Use: Distillery
The reuse of the
historic building is
critical. This will be a
magnet for tourism
and help bring pride to
Norristown.
Jayne Musonye,
Norristown Director of
Planning and Municipal
Development
For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website at
www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact
Stephanie Branche-Carter at
Branche.Stephanie@epa.gov.
IPa,iES-F-T?'-22Q
October 201?
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