M	
Un4 & Community devitalization
BROWNFIELPS SUCCESS IN NEW ENGLAND
CRAIC SUPPLY PROPERTY
DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Property Details
Property Address:	Depot Road, Durham. NH
Property Size:	2.0 acres
Former Use:	Commercial dry cleaning supplies facility
Contaminants Found:	VOCs
Current Uses: Parking lot and intermodal transportation hub
C u rrent Owne r:	Town of Durham
Project Partners
Town of Durham, NH Department of Environmental Services,
University of New Hampshire
Funding Details
NH DES State Funding:
$250,000
Town of Durham:
$41,000
EPA Cleanup Grant:
$200,000
University of New Hampshire (UNH):
$400
Project Highlights
• Addressed a community eyesore in the heart of the

UNH campus

• Generated revenue ($75,000 per year) for the town

• Utilized a creative solution for cleanup costs to meet the
redevelopment goal

Motivation for Redevelopment: The property is located
within the heart of the University of New Hampshire's
(UNH) campus and was recognized as one of the most
contaminated properties in New Hampshire. Knowing that
the property contamination needed to be addressed in order
to eliminate all environmental threats, project partners took
action. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental
Services (NHDES) and the Town of Durham worked
together to identify the best cleanup action for the property
which would result in the best cleanup result and the least
amount of disturbance to the property neighbors. To assist
with moving the project forward, the Town of Durham
prepared the property for an interim use as parking
spaces to help generate funding for the further cleanup of
the property.
Property History: The three-acre abandoned property
lies deep in the heart of the UNH campus and was owned
and operated by the Craig family. The family owned Craig
Supply, which was a commercial dry cleaning supply
company that operated as a wholesaler to the dry
cleaning industiy. The facility operated for many years
until the business closed and declared bankruptcy
in 1989. In 2004, the Town of Durham acquired the
property through tax deed. The property earned a high
environmental contamination ranking by NHDES and
for 15 years, NHDES closely monitored the property in
collaboration with the Public Works Department for the
Town of Durham.
Project Results: Collaboration between the Town of
Durham, UNH and NHDES provided for the best cleanup
option to be selected and implemented at the former Craig
Supply property. The town excavated all contaminated soil
for capping in one place on the property, which would allow
for easier treatment and cleanup further along in the project.
The town capped the property with a membrane, as well as
asphalt, to prevent exposure to the contamination. Cleanup
and redevelopment incorporated a stormwater management
system which captures all runoff and diverts it to a nearby
stream. Using an EPA Brownfields Cleanup grant, cleanup
was completed in September 2006 and led the way for the
redevelopment of the property into much needed parking
for UNH and the Town of Durham, as well as providing
intermodal transportation via the bus and passenger rail
station. The parking lot opened for use in 2007, with 169
spaces. Spaces are leased on a semester basis to the local
college students. During the first year of operation, the town
generated more than $75,000 in revenue which is placed in
an Enterprise Fund. All maintenance and operational costs
for the parking lot are paid from the Fund. All spaces are
100 percent leased a full year in advance.
Project Timeline
November 13,2001
Phase I Assessment Completed
October 5,2005
Building Demolished; Interim Use Started
April 12, 2006
Cleanup Initiated
September 26,2006
Cleanup Completed
August 2007
Parking Lot and Intermodal Transportation

Center Opened
October 2009
Local Contact: Michael Lynch Town of Durham • (603) 868-5578 • mlynch@ci.durham.nhus

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