Un4 & Community Revitqliz^tion BROWNFIFI PS SUffFSS IN NFW FNC.I AND liFORMER ALLIED LEATHER TANNERY CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE Address: 4 Crescent St.. Concord. NH Size: 2.1 acres Former Use: Ancillary uses for adjacent tannery Contaminants: Chromium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic, methane Current Use: Medical office Owner: DEW Crescent Street Properties, LLC New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NEIDBS), City of Concord, DEW Crescent Street Properties, LLC ¦ to —I < 1— O 0 z o z 3 LL CO 1— X 0 _J X 0 1 X w EPA ARRA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Subgrant: City of Concord Tax Increment Financing (TIF): DEW Crescent Street Properties, LLC: $400,000 $700,000 $2,000,000 • New medical office retained 26 jobs and created 7 new jobs for the Penacook Village community. • Returns a vacant, contaminated parcel to productive use, helping to catalyze the revitalization of a straggling community. Motivation for Redevelopment: The former Allied Leather Tannery is in Penacook a village within the City of Concord, Nil. Penacook is located along a natural drop in the Contoocook River, which allowed for the construction of water-powered mills in the 1800s. Until the 1950s, Penacook was a prosperous industrial community with a thriving neighborhood shopping center. Since then. Penacook's economy lias declined as industrial uses moved out and the downtown commercial district failed to adapt to a car-centered lifestyle. The City of Concord has embarked on a targeted redevelopment effort for Penacook, built around enhancing the existing downtown area to meet more of its users needs. Located near downtown Penacook, 4 Crescent Street had significant redevelopment potential, but was hindered by environmental challenges associated with its former uses. Property History: The 4 Crescent Street parcel lias an industrial history dating back to the mid-1800s. From 1846 through 1930, the property housed warehouses to support the Penacook textile mill, located on an adjacent parcel. In the 1940s, following the collapse of the textile industry, the mill and surrounding properties were sold to the Allied Leather Tannery, which converted the complex to a tannery operation. To support this use, a wastewater treatment plant, pump house, and coal-fired electrical generator were built on the 4 Crescent Street parcel. The tannery went bankrupt in 1987. and the property was then acquired by a local entrepreneur who was ultimately unable to redevelop the site. In 2006, the City purchased the property to support the redevelopment of the adjacent mill building. The former uses on the Crescent Street property resulted in environmental contamination. Site investigations determined that the site had been used for disposal of leather scraps, which were contaminated with chromium. As the buried leather decayed, it produced methane, posing an explosion risk and potential vapor intrusion and structural problems with new construction. Other soil contamination included arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), likely from the historic use of coal and asphalt on the site. Project Results: In 2009, EPA awarded the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) a $1.8 million revolving loan fund (RLF) cleanup grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). By August 2010, NHDES was able to subgrant $400,000 to the City of Concord for the cleanup of 4 Crescent Street. Site cleanup involved removing over 1,000 tons of leather scraps and associated soils as well as nearly 1,000 tons of PAH- contaminated soils. The City then sold the parcel to a private developer, who contributed $2 million to the project. Concord added an additional $700,000 to make the site redevelopment a reality. Construction of a 9,600-square foot office, leased to the Concord Hospital's Penacook Family Practice, began in June 201 Ion the Crescent Street parcel. The benefits of this project are widespread. The cleanup and construction efforts provided over 50 jobs during a difficult economic climate while the new medical office will retain 26 jobs and create 7 new jobs for the Penacook community. The project also returns a vacant, underutilized parcel to a productive community use, signaling a renewed investment in downtown Penacook while creating a new tax base for the City of Concord. Phase two of the project plans to build on these successes, adding an additional 5,500 square feet of office space to the complex, Timeline 2006 City acquires property Oct. 2009 Contamination discovered Aug. 2010 EPA ARRA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Subgrant awarded Jan. 2011 Cleanup completed June 2011 Groundbreaking on new medical building Fall 2011 Medical center opens August 2011 Local Contact: Michael McCluskey, NH Department of Environmental Services • (603) 271-2183 • michael.mccluskeyi2i3es.nh.gov ------- |