Brownfields
Success Story
EPA Grant Recipient:
Wayne County Economic
Development Authority
Grant Type:
Brownfields Assessment
Former Use:
Small Commercial Building
Current Use:
Transitional Housing
A Community with Its Heart
in the Right Place
Ceredo, West Virginia
Ceredo, West Virginia, is a smaii town along the Ohio River with a population of
roughly 1,500. Though some residents here have struggled with addiction and
economic insecurity in recent years, the community comes together to look
after its most vulnerable members.
That sense of social responsibility inspired Judy Gilkerson to create Golden Girl
Group Home. Founded in 1983, the group provides support to teen and young
adult girls in the foster care system and helps them learn independent living
skills. "Children, especially girls, who have lived in foster care and 'age out' at
18 have a high risk of poverty, abuse and incarceration," says Gilkerson. "We
want to make sure that they're prepared for the real world, and that starts by
providing them with a place to live."
The Opportunity
In early 2016, Nikki Lyn Thomas, Golden Girl Group Home's advancement
director, began scouting for a location to build a new transitional home for
young women aging out of foster care. She found a site that seemed to check
off all the important boxes: large enough to accommodate the apartment
buildings, an owner willing to donate the land and a central location. But
environmental testing revealed potential toxins that were prohibitively expensive
to remediate. "That was a difficult setback," says Thomas, "but we weren't going
to give up."
Disappointed but undeterred, Thomas reached out to a community reinvestment
expert to discuss alternatives. "She told me about the EPA Brownfields Program
and how it helps communities assess and clean up potentially contaminated
properties. Given our experience with the previous site, I knew that we needed
EPA in our corner."
A few weeks later, an architect and former colleague alerted Thomas to a new
site that met the group's criteria. The property owner, a local businessman, sold
it to the group for just a dollar, allowing Golden Girl Group Home to use more
of its budget on construction. "His generosity was wonderful," Thomas says of
the businessman, "but what made the donation so special is his connection to
the area. His family is very active In the community and has a genuine interest in
seeing us succeed."
oEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Thanks to a generous donation from a
local business owner, Golden Girl Group
Home was able to build new apartments
at a central location in town.

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The Assessment
With a site secured, the Wayne County Economic Development Authority used
its EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant to fund a Phase I Environmental Site
Assessment in the summer of 2016. The assessment, which was conducted in
compliance with the All Appropriate inquiries Final Rule, revealed no major
contamination. Receiving environmental signoff on the property encouraged
a variety of other donors to contribute funds for the site. The West Virginia
Housing Development program provided a loan, and local businesses and
private donations helped furnish and refine the apartments. "It was a real group
effort," says Gilkerson. "People in this area look after each other."
The apartments took about a year to build, and Thomas says the construction
process went smoothly for the most part. One minor snag occurred when water
began to pool on the property, which is U-shaped and sits on a slight decline.
Heavy rains in the area forced construction to stop until workers could vacuum
the water out and allow the ground to dry. Architectural designs were adjusted
to better address stormwater, and other stormwater management measures
were taken during construction. "After all we'd been through, this was just a little
bump in the road," Thomas says.
The Results
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in July 2017. Golden Heart Apartments
now houses 24 girls, who are required to attend college or a vocational program
while living there. The complex features an Educational Resource Center where
residents can meet with tutors and socialize with one another.
Thomas believes that the new apartments are a win-win for the entire
community. "We've beautified the block and surrounding area," she says.
"The church across the street has a new mission, the local library has a wider
audience and local shops benefit from a wider customer base."
For Gilkerson, the apartments represent the culmination of over 35 years of
advocacy. "Teenagers are like stallions, full of energy and passion," she says, "I
love these kids and I love helping them. It's comforting to know we finally have a
fuii suite of resources to offer."
(("Stories like this
make me so happy
to work for this
program. Golden
Heart Apartments
should be the
national model
for Brownfields
projects. 99
Stephanie Branche,
Project Manager,
EPA Region J
For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website
at www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact
Stephanie Branche at 215-814-5556 or
Branche.Stephanie@epa.gov.
EPA 5S0-R8-173
August 2018
Golden Heart Apartments provides safe
housing and educational resources to
young women aging out of the foster
care system.

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