Site Description Environmental Issues Addressed A Successful Transformation: Allentown Waterfront EPA Mid-Atlantic Region | Brownfields Program | Success Story in Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown's Waterfront project is in full gear. Demolition began in July 2014 along with construction of the first of ten buildings. The Waterfront will turn this 26-acre un- derutilized and contaminated industrial site into a mixed use development that takes full advantage of its frontage along the Lehigh River. While the site has hosted indus- trial activities for more than 130 years, the most recent oc- cupant was the Lehigh Structural Steel Company, a steel fabrication facility that operated at the site from 1919 to 1989 and employed more than 500 workers. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) was awarded an EPA Brownfields assessment grant, and a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA). As a result of the land's use as a long term steel fabrication facility, several types of metals were found in the soil Subse- quently a cleanup plan was devised to address issues including but not limited to: • Technical specifications for cap design, such as cross sections of asphalt paving and building slabs, or descriptions of landscaping plans. • A soil management plan to address how contaminated soil will be handled if it is found, and how site access will be controlled while the site is being developed. Leveraged Resources The cooperation and concerted effort by local, state, and federal agencies along with private developers and consultants has been critical to the reuse and redevelopment the site. These efforts contribute to not only the economic revitalization of the site and the region, but also to the remediation and restoration of this environmentally significant riverside project. The project is currently valued at over $300 million and will provide approximately $5 million in annual real estate taxes. EPA Grant Recipient: LVEDC Year Awarded: 2005 & 2010 Grant Types: Assessment & TBA Former Uses: Steel Fabrication Future Uses: Construction of Residential, Commercial, & Retail Units The Allentown Waterfront project is located north and south of the Tilghman Street Bridge between North Brick Street and the western bank of the Lehigh River. ------- EPA Mid-Atlantic Region | Brownfields Program | Success Story Behind the Transformation Future Use Features Waterfront Redevelopment Partners, LP. is a joint effort by Jaindl Properties, LLC, Dunn Twiggar Company, LLC and Michael Dunn Co. Ltd. Over the next eight years, the partners' redevelopment and reuse plan is to construct three residential and six office buildings, with retail space on the first floor of each building. The purchase of 3-5 miles of railroad tracks and plans to construct a road and trail for recreation and additional access is also planned. AN images courtesy of Jaindl Properties Once completed, the redevelopment of the Allentown waterfront, will restore and rejuvenate the banks of the Lehigh River, create job oppor- tunities, and offer new access to the river that has been inaccessible at the site for decades. In addition to the office space, residential space, and commercial space, the site will also feature key green infrastructure development with the addition of urban trails and public park space along the water's edge. Contact For Further Information: Michael Taurino, TBA Coordinator US EPA, Region 3 Brownfields Taurino.Michael@epa.gov ------- |