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BROWN FIELDS SUCCESS IN NEW ENGLAND
GOODWIN COLLEGE RIVERFRONT CAMPUS
EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
Property Details
Property Address:
133, 195,211 Riverside Drive,
East Hartford, CT 06118
Property Size:
30 acres
Former Use:
Petroleum storage and distribution facility
Contaminants Found:
Petroleum, VOCs, PAHs, lead
Current Use:
New campus for Goodwin College and
public access to the Connecticut River
Current Owner:
Goodwin College, Inc.
Project Partners
Capitol Region Council of Governments, Goodwin College, MetroHartford
Alliance, Town of East Hartford, Connecticut Development Authority,
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Funding Details
Connecticut Development Authority	$3,000,000
EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant	$ 121,900
Goodwin College	$52,000,000
Project Highlights
•	Removed 30 above-ground petroleum storage tanks
•	In November 2007, Goodwin College hosted a "topping off
ceremony to celebrate the completed construction of the structural
framework of its first building at the Riverfront Campus.
•	Total cost of the new campus proj ect is expected to be $ 115 million
Drivers for Redevelopment: As one of the most quickly growing
colleges in Connecticut, Goodwin College had outgrown its current
campus and needed to expand in order to meet student demand. The
proximity of this large amount of idle land to the old campus as well
as Goodwin College's commitment to environmental stew ardship
made this brownfield the ideal location for redevelopment into their
new campus. The Capitol Region Council of Governments provided
funding to assess these properties because, among other reasons, they
are located in an area prime for redevelopment, they are well served
by existing infrastructure, they are highly visible and accessible from
major interstates, their redevelopment will improve an area near
minority and low-income neighborhoods, and they will create new
recreational opportunities and increased public access to one of the
region's most important natural resources, the Connecticut River.
Property History: Since 1926, the Riverside Drive properties were
used for petroleum storage and distribution due to their location
along the Connecticut River. These activities, w hich ceased in the
1980s, led to contamination of the soil and groundwater. Buildings
on the properties were later used as offices and warehouses. The level
of contamination was so substantial that petroleum seeped into the
Connecticut River causing a visible layer of oily water. Goodwin
College purchased these properties from Whitestar Holding Company
and Motiva Enterprises in early 2005 in order to expand its campus.
The MetroHartford Brownflelds Assessment Program, a joint project
of the Capitol Region Council of Governments and the MetroHartford
Alliance provided $121,900 from a 2004 EPABrownfields Assessment
Grant to conduct Phase I, II, and limited Phase III assessments of the
properties. Phase I and II assessments were completed in September
2006 and April 2007, respectively, revealing petroleum, VOCs, lead
and PAHs. The Phase III assessment is scheduled for completion in
March 2008.
Project Results: After removing the above ground petroleum storage
tanks from the property in 2005, contaminated soil was removed
from the property using natural bioremediation techniques. All parts
of the property will continue to be cleaned up to the most stringent
residential standards. Phase I of redevelopment began in 2006 and
is expected to be finished in Fall 2008. The first completed building
will house 39 classrooms, six science labs, computer labs, a student
lounge, a cafe, a 700-seat auditorium, a library and media center, and
community rooms. Goodwin College hosted a topping off ceremony
to celebrate the structural completion of this building. The College
has assembled more than 700 acres along Riverside Drive as part of
its plan to create a riverfront park around its new campus. The park,
accessible by Goodwin College and the general public, will include
an additional 2 % miles of walking trails, which will connect with
existing trails in the area, and several sports fields. The park will
allow public access to three deep-water docks where a research vessel
will dock allowing the college to support a river ecology curriculum.
Goodwin College also plans to create research opportunities by using
the area's wetlands and woods for environmental research and creating
a river and estuarial study center. Slated for completion by 2012, the
new campus will house 257,500 square feet of classrooms, dorms, a
library, an early childhood learning center and administrative space.
This beautiful new campus will not only allow Goodwin College to
expand and improve, but it will allow the entire community to access
and enjoy the river.
Project Timeline
Early 2005
Goodwin College purchases the properties
October 2005
Removal of petroleum storage tanks
September 2006
Phase I Environmental Assessments completed
April 2007
Phase II Environmental Assessments completed
November 2007
Topping Off Ceremony
January 2008
Local Contact: Maty Ellen Kowalewski, (860) 522-2217 x22

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