Sffl
Pedestrian bridge over Harbor Brook at Meriden's downtown Hub site in Meriden, Connecticut. Photo courtesy of Dave Cooley, Making Meriden Business Center.

S
WITH NEW PURPOSE
Improving	Local
Communities with Brownfield Sites



JUNE 2019

-------

I	• Hi	LIN (J dLfl.llllI
' 1^1—i® /T)
pi pk :::: TYTm | Vy + V/.C-d*
° j * iit
£t Q*J
A ©
lm
£t a ©
0
n
O ) ~ =
p
= 'jmj
s.Pi;
O
111
n
j±i ©
JH
©
T	
r
=_0.

©
© =
/s
LT ©
1
%
r
J_0.

©
/¦ f r *¦ I
3 f d
©
scqJ:
}
' i	
%

U
La.
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
• • s ¦
» » • • ^r=
i
Jj
¦ »
•

1

¦»zr^ +
- ©
n
©
VD
"J
%
r
C-0

/s

pp plbi®.1';':':c^
©
lm
©
n n
~

© gee:
^ Qv ©
Cx ©
lm
©
n n \
ImJ
©
© —
AAA

—9-J
T	

J-0.1
0
/•//VI
=±eI
n n
Voerf.

p <
.0
:::l
Q_qI
+
n_
_n u
©
VD
T	
r
'O
e_.0.

i /• -

-------
redevelopment,
Types of Brownfields Grant Funding
EPA's Brownfields Program provides grants
and technical assistance to communities,
states, tribes and nonprofit organizations to
assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse
contaminated properties.
A brownfield is a property, the expansion,
or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential
presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. It is estimated that there are
more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S.
Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties
increases local tax bases; facilitates job growth;
utilizes existing infrastructure; takes
development pressures off undeveloped, open
land; and both improves and protects the
environment.
Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields
Program has grown into a proven,
results-oriented program that has changed the
way contaminated property is perceived,
EPA's Brownfields Program provides direct funding for brownfields assessment, cleanup, revolving loans,
environmental job training, technical assistance, training and research. To facilitate the leveraging of public
resources, EPA's Brownfields Program collaborates with other EPA programs, other federal partners and state
agencies to identify and make available resources that can be used for brownfield activities.
•	Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments,
and community outreach.
•	Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up
brownfield sites.
•	Cleanup Grants provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the
applicant.
•	Multipurpose (MP) Grants provide funding to conduct a range of eligible assessment and cleanup
activities at one or more brownfield sites in a target area.
•	Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants provide environmental
training for residents impacted by brownfield sites in their communities.
•	Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Grants provide funding to organizations to conduct
research and to provide training and technical assistance to communities to help address their
brownfields challenges.
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019
3

-------
• State and Tribal Response Program Grants provide non-competitive funding to states, tribes and
territories to establish or enhance environmental response programs, which oversee cleanup of
brownfield sites.
Warehouse Building Demolition for Redevelopment at Wright State University National Center for Medical Readiness in Fairborn, Ohio.
Environmental and Economic Benefits of Brownfields Grants
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, tribes, communities and other stakeholders to work together
to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Revitalizing brownfield sites creates
benefits throughout the community.
Since 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has cleaned up 1,816 properties; attracted 144,800 jobs, and made
80,952 acres ready for anticipated reuse.
Through fiscal year 2018, on average, $16.86 was leveraged for each EPA brownfields dollar and 8.6 jobs
leveraged per $100,000 of EPA brownfields funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund
cooperative agreements.
Brownfield sites tend to have greater location efficiency than alternative development scenarios. Results of
five pilot studies show a 32% to 57% reduction in vehicle miles traveled when development occurred at a
brownfield site rather than a previously undeveloped site. Fewer vehicle miles traveled means a reduction in
pollution emissions, including greenhouse gases. These same site comparisons show an estimated 47% to
62% reduction of stormwater runoff for brownfield site development.
A 2017 study concluded that cleaning up brownfield properties led to residential property value increases of
5% to 15.2% within 1.29 miles of the sites. Analyzing data near 48 of those brownfield sites, another study
found an estimated $29 to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after
cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites,
initial anecdotal surveys indicate a reduction in crime in recently revitalized brownfields areas.
4
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019

-------
Successful Brownfields Revitalization Projects Across the Country
EPA Brownfield Grants provide
essential funding to communities for
assessment, cleanup, and planning
activities. Brownfield Grants can
provide necessary seed funding to
spur the environmental cleanup of
brownfield sites and initiate community
revitalization. To facilitate the
leveraging of public resources, EPA
collaborates with its federal partners
and state agencies to identify and
make available resources that can be
used for brownfield activities.
EPA's land revitalization efforts
emphasize the need to consider
the anticipated property reuse prior to and during assessment and cleanup. Integrating property reuse
alternatives into assessment and cleanup decisions ensures that the environmental cleanup for all types
of contaminated land, from abandoned industrial facilities to waste disposal sites and former gas stations,
promotes solutions that support community revitalization goals.
Below are a select group of project examples that highlight the accomplishments of EPA Brownfield Grant
recipients across the country. These accomplishments include transforming brownfield sites to positively
impact local economies and improve the quality of life for neighboring communities.
REGION 1
Farnum Center - Manchester, New Hampshire
This 3.5 acre site was formerly the Queen
City Inn, which operated as a motel and
was surrounded by gasoline stations and
other petroleum facilities. In 2012, the site
was identified in Manchester's downtown
revitalization plan and targeted for
redevelopment. Using a Community-Wide
Assessment Grant from EPA awarded in 2010,
the City of Manchester conducted a Phase I
and II environmental site assessments where
they found contamination associated with coal
tar. Because of the assessment, the site was
able to be sold for redevelopment, and a local
developer helped cleanup and transform the
property into the Farnum Treatment Center.
The cleanup involved removal of hazardous
building materials such as asbestos and lead
to re-use the existing building. The construction The Farnum Center in Manchester, New Hampshire.
generated 96 construction jobs. The project resulted in the opening of the state's first non-hospital based
medical detoxification unit that specifically works with patients addicted to opioids. The state-of-the-art
treatment facility is located within 2 miles of the new Elliot Hospital and now employs more than 100 people.
Farnum's inpatient programs have the capacity to serve 113 adults who have primary substance use disorder.
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019
5

-------
Union Station - Springfield, Massachusetts
Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts was
a major transportation hub constructed in 1926. It
was fondly remembered as an area bustling with
travelers and train passengers, especially when it
served to welcome and send off soldiers serving
in World War II. The station was closed in 1973,
and the vacant property was taken by eminent
domain by the Springfield Redevelopment
Authority in 1989. The Springfield Redevelopment
Authority sought to redevelop the Union Station
Property and the Hotel Charles property across
the street. These properties would consolidate the
Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority, commuter
rail, Amtrak and inter-city bus operations into one
hub. The City of Springfield and the Springfield
Redevelopment Authority received three EPA Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Brownfield Grants in 2011 and 2014 for the
projects totaling $600,000. Today, the new station is now a transportation hub for western Massachusetts.
According to the City of Springfield, Union Station has the potential to leverage 500-1000 permanent jobs.
This site is located in a census tract designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under
certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
REGION 2
Camden Labs - Camden, New Jersey
With the site abandoned for over a decade, the
property used for illegal dumping, and buildings
having lost their structural integrity, the Camden
Labs brownfield site in Camden, New Jersey,
was a 3.8-acre refuse with a mangled, graffitied
exterior and caved-in roofs. Today, it is being
demolished, cleaned, and will transform into an
open space park for community use. Camden
Labs is a priority site for brownfield reuse,
catalyzed after the City of Camden received a
$13.2 million Housing and Urban Development
Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant.
In 2015, the Camden Redevelopment Agency
received two EPA Brownfields Grants for area- Camden Labs in 2018.
wide planning and assessment of Camden Labs
totaling $550,000. in 2018, the City of Camden
received $200,000 from EPA's Brownfields Cleanup Grant and over $1 million in New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection's Hazardous Discharge and Site Remediation Program. This site is located in a
census tract designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain conditions,
may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
6
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019

-------
Berry Lane Park - Jersey City, New Jersey
Before it was a safe, colorful playground visited by
hundreds of Jersey City children every day. Berry
Lane Park was once made up of 11 former industrial
sites totaling 14 acres. The site, which is located in an
Opportunity Zone, contained toxic contaminants such
as hexavalent chromium, PCBs and lead. With a vision
for site reuse and funding from EPA's brownfields grants,
the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency assessed and
cleaned up the properties that would ultimately become
the 17-acre park. Berry Lane Park was designed with Contaminated properties before remediation,
direct input from residents and local officials working
through a series of planning sessions with the project's
architects and planners. In addition to providing
recreational opportunities, the park, which officially opened
in 2016, contains stormwater management controls. Since
1997, the EPA has awarded Jersey City $3.4 million in
brownfields funding, specifically for the Berry Lane Park
project. Overall, there has been $38 million in financing
from over 40 different sources, including over $1 million
in New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Berry Lane Rark today
Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Funding. This site
is located in a census tract designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain
conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
REGION 3
Roxian Theater - McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
S" »
¦ gi
ROXIAN
The historic Roxian
Theatre in McKees Rocks,
Pennsylvania celebrated
a grand reopening in May
2019, 90 years after it first
debuted as a vaudeville
theater in 1929. In 2012,
the North Side Industrial
Development Company
utilized $11,000 from
its EPA Brownfields
Assessment Grant awarded _			
in 2011 to conduct a	Before and after photos ofthe outside ofthe Roxian Theater.
Phase i environmental site
assessment and asbestos inspection to assist the site owner's, McKees Rocks Community Development
Corporation (MRCDC), launch of the redevelopment of the theater. The $9 million renovation was funded by
a variety of local partners, including the MRCDC and the Heinz Endowments and the Hillman Foundation.
The theater recently sold to a local entrepreneur and several partners. Vacant since 2003, the Roxian
Theater's reopening is anticipated to usher in a new era of vibrancy to the downtown business district of this
environmental justice community, in conjunction with a recent $1.9 million PennDOT first phase streetscape
grant. The Roxian Theater will offer local musicians and touring acts a venue within the 800 to 1,500 seat
range, which is difficult to find in the greater Pittsburgh area. This site is located in a census tract designated
as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for
preferential tax treatment.
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019
7

-------
Three Springs Business Park - Weirton, West Virginia
With a $153,000 Brownfields Assessment grant,
the Business Development Corporation of the North
Panhandle of West Virginia has continued to build
out the Three Springs Business Park in Weirton, West
Virginia. The site was formerly mine-scarred land
owned by Weirton Steel that lay fallow and wasted
on the outskirts of downtown Weirton. EPA awarded
three Brownfield Assessment Grants to the Brooke-
Hancock Regional Planning and Development
Council (2004, 2005 and 2009) and one to the
Business Development Corporation of the Northern
Panhandle (2016). These funds were used to assess
portions of the mine site to assist the redevelopment
organizations work with four companies, clearing
hurdles in their quest to make the Three Springs
Business Park their new home. The business park
continues to grow and expand and has leveraged $4.4 million in other public investments (additional grants
and loans), $21 million in private investments for manufacturing, and $10 million in commercial and hospitality.
The current industrial complex tenants include: Pietro Fiorentini manufacturing (expansion will have a grand
opening in July 2019), Barney's Bakery, North American Industrial Services, Rue21, Park Drive Development,
Walmart, Bob Evans Restaurant, Comfort Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites. Three Springs Business Park has
created 195 and preserved 141 jobs, while 651 new jobs are projected. Future investment in the greater Three
Springs park area is another $46 million of planned buildout including of a 10-acre entertainment district and
convention center expected to bring another $21 million in new investment and 250 more jobs.
REGION 4
Creative Village - Orlando, Florida
One key aspect of Orlando's revitalization is the Creative
Village project, a public-private partnership between the
City of Orlando and Creative Village Development, LLC.
This ambitious project envisions a "live, work, play" center
in downtown Orlando constructed at the site of the former
home of the Orlando Magic, the Amway Center, which was
demolished in 2012. Creative Village will eventually consist
of a mixed-use, transit-oriented development consisting
of 1,200,000 square feet of office/creative space; 750,000
square feet of higher education space; 1,500 residential
units; 1,500 student housing beds; 150,000 square feet of
retail/commercial space; and 225 hotel rooms.
EPA grant funding was used at several parcels for
assessment (over $100,000 in assessment funding from the
Cleanup Grant ($200,000) funded cleanup activity at three parcels that represent approximately 26 acres out
of the 68 acres under the Creative Village umbrella. The entire Creative Village project is enrolled in Florida
Department of Environmental Protection's brownfields program, which oversees voluntary cleanups while
providing financial and regulatory incentives to enroilees.
Three Springs Business Park in Weirton, West Virginia.
ULUI^j, I «
Creative Village in Orlando, Florida.
2012 Assessment Grant). Additionally, the 2013
8
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019

-------
Encore Project - Tampa, Florida
The mixed-use Encore Project is a success story in the City of
Tampa's Community Redevelopment Area between downtown Tampa
and historic Ybor City, The City of Tampa conducted assessments
and planning activities and cleanup at the project site by leveraging
a total of $800,000 from a 2009 assessment grant and 2012
multipurpose grant, each in the amount of $400,000. Historical uses
of the properties included automotive repair and junk yard storage.
Currently, the sites are the location of a walkable, livable community.
This unique redevelopment salutes the black music roots of the
Central Avenue area; the 1950s song, The Twist, got its start here. The
Encore includes a solar powered park and the Ella, a mixed-income
complex with 160 apartments for seniors. Petroleum grant funds from
the city's multi-purpose brownfields qrant were used to remove the r t ,n , „	, rumnrT >
3 , ,	.	Central Park Village in 2006 (now ENCORE Tampa),
tanks and conduct soil cleanup. This site is located in a census tract
designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible
for preferential tax treatment.
REGION 5
New Center District - Detroit, Michigan
What was once a blighted
neighborhood in Detroit's New
Center district is now home to
a $28 million medical supply
facility. The Cardinal Health
Distribution Center employs
140 workers on a site that until
very recently was 18 acres of
vacant lots mixed with burned-
out homes. The Detroit-Wayne
County Port Authority invested
$915,000 in EPA brownfield
grant funds awarded in 2015 to help clean up contaminated soils, remove 11 underground storage tanks,
and eliminate vapor intrusion in the new building. Tax credits and other incentives from the state, city and
county provided the additional funding needed to improve the site with new construction and infrastructure
improvements. This site is located in a census tract designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new
investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. These investments, as
well as future incentives made available by being designated an Opportunity Zone, will continue to encourage
transformation of the New Center District for generations to come.
Prior to the revitalization, vacant homes and open lands deterred economic growth and investment in the
neighborhood. Now, Detroit's New Center District is home to a new Cardinal Health Distribution Center - bringing
jobs and opportunity to the community.
Wade McCree Estates - Ecorse, Michigan
Constructed in the late 1950's,
the apartment buildings in Wade
McCree Estates had become
obsolete when the Ecorse
Housing Commission undertook
cleanup and redevelopment of
the 21-acre property. Disposal
of contaminated soils, removal
of underground storage tanks,
and abatement of asbestos
Wade McCree Estates in Ecorse, Mich., was plagued by various forms of contamination, including asbestos. With the
help of a brownfields grant, the site has been cleaned up and 200 new homes have been built.
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019
9

-------
was completed with $1.3 million of EPA Brownfield Grants awarded in 2017 and an additional $1 million
provided by the state of Michigan. Once the property was remediated so it could be safely used by residents,
the housing commission built 200 new homes. Besides bringing new life to the site, the project provided
employment to 230 construction workers and will increase the city's property tax base for years to come.
REGION 8
Hooghan Hozho - Gallup, New Mexico
Hooghan Hozho, a 44-unit
development with 30 units
set aside for Native American
families, now welcomes
residents and visitors alike
at the gateway of downtown
Gallup, New Mexico. Originally
the site of Hotel Liberty and
most recently Carl's TV, through
the brownfields funding
awarded in 2009, this location
was converted into affordable housing units that provide ready access to jobs, transportation, retail, city
services, and civic amenities to the residents it serves. Environmental site assessments were funded by
Region 6 Brownfields Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program and New Mexico Council of Governments'
Brownfields Assessment Grant, and cleanup planning was provided by New Mexico Environment Department
(NMED), all totaling $55,000. NMED also provided cleanup funding through a subgrant of $74,000 from their
Revolving Loan Fund to remediate the site by cleaning up asbestos and installing a vapor barrier. The $10.7
million revitalization was made possible through a partnership with CARE 66 and many other state and federal
partners.
Texas Musicians Museum and Neon Armadillo Restaurant - Irving, Texas
Located on a site that featured
former automotive sales/
service shop and a neon sign
manufacturing business, the
Texas Musicians Museum and
Neon Armadillo Restaurant
underwent an extensive
revitalization to become a
reality. Region 6 Targeted
Brownfields Assessment
Program worked with the City
of Irving and their Brownfields
Assessment Grant awarded in 2012 to provide $47,000 in environmental site assessment work on the
property. The redevelopment leveraged $2.4 million in city funds to revitalize the site. The repurposed 8,000
square foot facility, just a short walk from city transit, includes the museum, an outdoor music garden, and an
on-site restaurant.
Before - Carl's TV arid After - Hooghan Hozho.
Before—Abandoned Automotive Shops and Neon Sign Manufacturing Facility. After - Museum, Outdoor Music
Venue and Restaurant.
10
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019

-------
REGION 7
Bee Branch Greek Greenway - Dubuque, Iowa
In Dubuque, Iowa, the Bee
Branch Creek Greenway was
made possible in part by
EPA's $400,000 Assessment
Grant awarded to the City
of Dubuque in 2013. The
greenway is part of the city's
Bee Branch Watershed Flood
Mitigation Project intended to
mitigate flooding, improve water Before and after photos of the Bee Branch Creek Greenway.
quality, stimulate investment,
and enhance quality of life within the Bee Branch Watershed. To allow flash floods to move safely through
the area, the decision was made to daylight the Bee Branch Creek by replacing nearly a mile of underground
storm sewer with an open creek and floodplain.
Today, what was once a waterway completely buried underground is now a community greenway aligned with
multi-use sidewalks, landscaping, fun spaces for children to play, a limestone waterfall, scenic overlooks, a
community amphitheater, newly-introduced fishing habitat, and a community orchard and garden. Through
dedication, a steadfast community vision, and the support of local, state, and federal partnerships, the city of
Dubuque transformed part of an opportunity zone in an area prone to dangerous flash flooding into a beautiful
centerpiece in their community.
To date, Dubuque has received $162 million in state and federal grants and local donations to help fund
the $219 million project, including support from EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Brownfields
Program. And EPA's support for the project continues. EPA Cleanup Grants totaling $600,000, awarded in
2016, 2017 and 2018, are supporting the redevelopment of a former scrapyard and adjacent properties into a
bike trail, pavilion, playground, and public bathroom to serve the Lower Bee Branch Creek. This site is located
in a census tract designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain conditions,
may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
West Haymarket - Lincoln, Nebraska
Cleanup recently completed
at two properties in the city of
Lincoln are just the latest in
the booming redevelopment of
West Haymarket, a 402-acre
district in town that consisted
of heavy industrial, commercial,
and mixed residential areas
that were considered blighted
and largely obsolete. Two EPA
cleanup grants awarded in 2013
provided $200,000 each and leveraged more than $4 million from other sources for the needed remediation.
The former BNSF Railway Roundhouse Area within the BNSF Railway Company Lincoln Main Yard and
the former scrap metal recycling facility, Alter Scrap Company, had been used for more than 100 years as
rail yards. Soil and groundwater at the sites were contaminated with heavy metals and other hazardous
substances. Also cleaned up was the former Jaylynn Manufactured Gas Plant, where environmental concerns
included heavy metals, semi-volatile organic compounds, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.
Before and after photos of the redevelopment of West Haymarket.
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019
11

-------
Already, the N Street Bikeway, Nebraska's first protected bicycle facility, was constructed on N street between
the two cleanup sites, leveraging $3.2 million in redevelopment. More than $50 million in redevelopment is
planned for these properties within this Opportunity Zone. Development proposals incorporate new mixed-
use buildings, new residential units, a public plaza, green space, and public parking. The city reports that
people are excited for the green space, described as an "art-inspired landscape with a public plaza, walking
trails, water features and an outdoor amphitheater."
Early redevelopment at West Hay market was made possible through a series of targeted brownfield
assessments by Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality using EPA's CERCLA 128(a) State Response
funding. Today, West Haymarket accommodates residential, recreational, cultural, and entertainment-oriented
uses including its cornerstone, a 470,000-square-foot arena projected to draw 700,000 visitors each year.
This site is located in a census tract designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under
certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
REGION 8
Oak Park Theatre - Minot, North Dakota
The Oak Park Theatre in Minot,
North Dakota, was once a
thriving entertainment center
that operated from the 1960s
until the Souris River flood in
2011. The damage from the
flood, along with subsequent
years of neglect and unknown
contamination, left the
property vacant and in a state
of disrepair. The City of Minot
and its community members
recognized the potential of the theatre and the overall Oak Park Shopping Center and designated the
property as a catalyst site in its EPA Brownfields Area-wide Plan, which was completed in 2016. The city also
used its Brownfields Grant awarded in 2013 to conduct Phase I and II environmental assessment activities
to demystify the environmental conditions at the center. The assessment results confirmed the Oak Park
Shopping Center did not have elevated levels of contamination, providing a green light to a local developer to
proceed with reconstruction of the theatre and other new businesses in the shopping center. As reported in
the Minot Daily News, business is thriving in the Oak Park Shopping Center, and the theater is again the place
to be in Minot.
Town of Dubois - Dubois, Wyoming
The Town of Dubois, population 995,
successfully used EPA Brownfields funds to
complete the cleanup of a 52-acre sawmill
that had been vacant since 1980. in 2012,
EPA awarded a $200,000 Brownfields
Cleanup Grant to the town to address
petroleum contaminated soils from the
sawmill operations. The soils remediation was
the final stage of a years-long cleanup that
began with assessment and cleanup work by
the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the town. Removing the last contamination from the
sawmill allowed the town to redevelop the property with the Warm Valley Lodge Assisted Living Center and
the Clarence Allison Memorial Rodeo Arena. The town also completed new recreational trails that now provide
scenic access to the Wind River.
,
The original Oak Park Theatre in the 1960s and the new theatre (bottom) under construction in 2016.
The former 52-acre sawmill now provides community assets including a new rodeo,
recreational trails and senior living.
12
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019

-------
REGION 9
Pueblo Viejo Fields Project - Phoenix, Arizona
The Pueblo Viejo Fields Project
is Phoenix, Arizona's first
"Brownfields to Healthfields"
project completed through
funding awarded in 2017 from
the EPA Brownfields program.
With EPA assistance, lead
and arsenic contamination
were identified at the property.
Subsequently, the property was
cleaned and developed into the
Pueblo Viejo Fields Project, which includes a demonstration farm, farm stand, and agricultural training facility
for veterans and developmental^ disabled adults. The project provides locally grown and freshly harvested
food to the south Phoenix community, a USDA-designated food desert. This site is located in a census tract
designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible
for preferential tax treatment.
William N. Pennington Life Center - Fallon, Nevada
The rural town of Fallon, Nevada, (population 8,500)
recently opened a new senior center with EPA
Brownfields assistance from a grant awarded in
2016. The William N. Pennington Life Center is a
16,000-square-foot, $5 million senior center, built
on four parcels historically used as a gas station.
The new senior center serves meals for up to 100
seniors a day in the facility and another 190 seniors
in their homes through the Meals on Wheels delivery
program. A library, meeting rooms, and social areas
complete the center.
REGION 10
Public Safety Center - Beaverton, Oregon
Allen Boulevard Corridor is one of Beaverton's
most distressed areas; as a result, it
was targeted for revitalization. The main
environmental challenge was to address
existing petroleum contamination that
imposed health risks to groundwater and
local streams. The site was designated to
be the future location of a Public Safety
Center (PSC), an earthquake resistant police
and emergency management building. In
support of this change, Beaverton residents
passed a $35 million bond in 2016 to fund
this new center. The PSC will be a community asset that will spur additional development in the surrounding
blighted area. Two hundred police and city staff working at the PSC will improve the safety and stability of the
neighborhood. Region 10 Administrator Chris Hladick announced on April 26, 2018, that City of Beaverton
was awarded $400,000 in cleanup grants from EPA for this project. Construction started in 2019.
Before and after photos of the Pueblo Viejo Fields Project



i
SO.,.;
,

The William N. Pennington Life Center.
(photo courtesy of Skip Reeves/ Silver State Photography/2017)
Public Safety Center design rendering.
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019
13

-------
Port of Skagit - Burlington, Washington (Site is in Sedro-Woolly, Washington)
The former Northern State Hospital for
psychiatric patients was constructed in 1912
on a 225-acre site in Skagit County, 70 miles
north of Seattle. The hospital had medical
wards, residential halls, a power plant, rail spur
and depot, maintenance facilities, a landfill, and
approximately 700 acres of adjacent farmland.
At its peak, this historical and beautiful site
served 2,200 patients and employed 400
staff. After the hospital closed in 1973, interim
uses allowed testing of new ideas. However,
contamination concerns became obstacles for
future redevelopment. An initial planning grant
of $200,000 from the Washington Department
of Ecology was funded in 2014. Washington
State transferred ownership of the property to
the Port of Skagit in 2018.
A brownfield assessment was completed in April 2019 with a $195,000 grant from EPA. This assessment
has reduced the uncertainty regarding contamination and provided a better positioning of the property for its
new future. The port is now actively applying for cleanup funding through state and federal agencies and is
attracting technology companies on a vision of good jobs in a serene environment.
Riverfront Park - Spokane, Washington
In the 45 years since Expo '74 in the City
of Spokane, economic distress and lack
of investment in Riverfront Park resulted in
deteriorating conditions with negative impact
on the city. Although the park consistently
ranks as one of the top tourist attractions in
Spokane, it has not been significantly upgraded
since it opened. A master plan was approved
in 2014 followed by the issuance of $64 million
in bonds to fund improvements. In 2014,
Spokane was awarded $400,000 by EPA to
assess vacant, underutilized, and abandoned
properties. In 2017, the city was awarded
$600,000 in additional EPA brownfield funding
to support cleanup and revitalization of the
100-acre Riverfront Park. The EPA funds paid for
remedial costs and reduced the uncertainty in
estimated project costs. The total cost is expected to exceed $70 million. This site is located in a census tract
designated as a federal Opportunity Zone, where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible
for preferential tax treatment.
Former Northern State Hospital, 2012.
Great Northern Railway Depot Clock Tower at Spokane's Riverfront Park.
14
BROWNFIELDS: PROPERTIES WITH NEW PURPOSE • JUNE 2019

-------

I	• Hi	LIN (J dLfl.llllI
' 1^1—i® /T)
pi pk :::: TYTm | Vy + V/.C-d*
° j * iit
£t Q*J
A ©
lm
£t a ©
0
n
O ) ~ =
p
= 'jmj
s.Pi;
O
111
n
j±i ©
JH
©
T	
r
=_0.

©
© =
/s
LT ©
1
%
r
J_0.

©
/¦ f r *¦ I
3 f d
©
scqJ:
}
' i	
%

U
La.
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
• • s ¦
» » • • ^r=
i
Jj
¦ »
•

1

¦»zr^ +
- ©
n
©
VD
"J
%
r
C-0

/s

pp plbi®.1';':':c^
©
lm
©
n n
~

© gee:
^ Qv ©
Cx ©
lm
©
n n \
ImJ
©
© —
AAA

—9-J
T	

J-0.1
0
/•//VI
=±eI
n n
Voerf.

p <
.0
:::l
Q_qI
+
n_
_n u
©
VD
T	
r
'O
e_.0.

i /• -

-------

-------