1 TTTTn JbLi 14 w yvagr fsSf I Land & Cornmunrty RevHalization S r BROWNFIELDS SUCCESS IN NEW ENGLAND \ x jm i SANFORD MILL SITE " \ i SANFORD, MAINE Address: 61 Washington Street, Sanford, ME Former Use: Manufacture of fabrics, light bulbs, and plastic products Contaminants: Asbestos, lead-based paint, semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), and PCBs Current Use: Housing, commercial, and retail space Owner: Town of Sanford Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Maine Neighborhood Stabilization Program (N SP)s Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission (SMRPC), Town of Sanford, Northland Enterprises LLC ¦ co —i < l— a o z a z LL. co I— X O —i X 0 ¦ X EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant: $110,000 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant (ARRA): $200,000 Maine NSP Grant: $3,000,000 SMRPC Revolving Loan Fund Subgrant: $200,000 Additional funding provided by Northland Properties LLC • Leveraged various components of EPA's Brownfields program to redevelop abandoned mill. • New mixed-use development will contribute to revitalization of historic mill district. The Sanford Mill Site is an excellent example of a shovel-ready project that benefitted from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. The project is also a case study on how the various components of EPA's Brownfields program can be leveraged together to create the synergy needed to redevelop a brownfield. The work completed by the Town is considered a success because the ARRA funding has been fully drawn down to complete the cleanup of the Sanford Mill site and advance the project to the redevelopment phase. Motivation for Redevelopment: Located along the Mousam River in southwestern Maine, Sanford (population 20,806) thrived from the late 1800s to the 1950s as a vibrant textile mill town. When the mills closed, more than 3,500 residents lost their jobs. Although the town was successful in recruiting new industry, most of the new industrial base relocated or closed by the 1990s. Today, the town's unemployment and poverty rates are consistently liigher than the County and State rates, and the median household income is significantly lower than the County median. Many of the large mills that surround the Mousam River are abandoned and deteriorated, including the former Sanford Mill. It is estimated that there are more than 30 brownfields sites in downtown Sanford, many of which are within the Sanford Mills Historic District, a 7.5-acre historic area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Property History: The Sanford Mill was formerly used for the manufacture of fabrics, light bulbs, and plastic products. This use resulted in a range of enviromnental contaminants including semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and PCBs. The building also contained lead-based paint and asbestos. Project Result: Under its Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment Grant, the Town of Sanford conducted Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) for the property in 2008. The following year, the Town continued its assessment activities, completing a supplemental ground water assessment and cleanup planning. By completing all of this work ahead of time with its assessment grant, the Town was prepared to take full advantage of the opportunity presented by ARRA funding. In 2009, the Town was awarded a $200,000 ARRA Brownfields Cleanup Grant, plus a $200,000 subgrant from the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission (SMRPC) through its EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund. This shovel-ready cleanup project was initiated immediately on the award date of August 3, 2009. Grant-funded cleanup activities were completed in December 2010. The Town has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Northland Enterprises LLC, a private developer, to complete the lead-paint abatement and redevelop this historic mill into a combination of housing units and retail/commercial space. To support these efforts, the project received a $3 million grant from the Maine Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). The cleanup and redevelopment of this property is part of an overall integrated effort to revitalize the entire Sanford Mills Historic District. Toward this end, the Town applied for and was awarded one of EPA's Area-Wide Planning pilot grants in 2010. EPA awarded just 23 of these innovative new grants nationwide to promote a coordinated and holistic approach to revitalizing neighborhoods impacted by numerous brownfields. Timeline 2008 Phase I and Phase II ESAs completed 2009 Supplemental assessment and cleanup Planning and implementation 2010 Grant-funded cleanup activities completed 2011 (expected) Redevelopment lead-paint abatement to begin August 2011 Local Contact: James Gulnac, Planning Director, Town of Sanford • (207) 324-9150 • jqgulnac@sanfordmaine.org ------- |