Jfcl Un4 & Community B.evit9liz9"tion 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 ------- |