Brownfields
Success Story
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Mixed-Use Revitalization of a
Historic Downtown
Hernando, Mississippi
The former Reliable Equipment facility includes three property
parcels on Highway 51 South on the northwest border of
Mississippi. Historically, the property has been used for tractor
supply and repair operations. Those industrial uses contaminated
soil with petroleum hydrocarbons. Despite the contamination, the
city of Hernando recognized the potential of the property and
actively took steps to attract developers to the area. The site is
adjacent to the town square, and is considered the gateway to the
city's historic downtown.
Redevelopment Tools: Brownfields Grant and
State Tax Incentives
In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
awarded the city of Hernando a $400,000 Brownfields community-
wide assessment grant. The city used the funds to perform nearly
30 environmental assessments at local contaminated properties.
As part of public educational outreach, the city of Hernando also
used the grant to fund a 3-day charette. The charette was a
collaborative meeting in which community partners and leaders,
developers and local residents had an opportunity to discuss ways
to return the assessed properties to beneficial reuse. The process
allowed the community to share reuse priorities and goals - giving
them a chance to help reshape the future of their town. The
charette also provided participants with information about two
state-sponsored tax incentive programs - the Mississippi
Economic Redevelopment Act and the Brownfields tax credit,
which is affiliated with the state's Brownfields Incentives Act. Both
programs aim to entice private sector developers to clean up and
reuse brownfieid sites. The Mississippi Economic Redevelopment
Act provides an incentive to defray the remediation costs
associated with cleaning up contaminated property. Under the
Brownfields tax credit, remediation costs at brownfieid sites are
eligible for a 25% tax credit.
The city's outreach efforts resulted in significant interest in
Brownfieid redevelopment. After learning about the Brownfieid
assessment grant and the state-sponsored incentives at the
charette, a local business owner decided to purchase two of the
property parcels that make up the Reliable Equipment site. In
June 2016, the Mississippi Commission for Environmental Quality
issued a Brownfieid Agreement with the new property owner for
the remediation of the Reliable Equipment site.
EPA Grant Recipient:
City of Hernando, Mississippi
Grant Type:
EPA Community-Wide
Assessment Grant
Former Uses:
Industrial: Tractor Supply and
Repair
Current Status:
Efforts at the site have resulted in
building renovations, the creation
of two new businesses and over
50 new jobs.
Future Development:
Five new, single-family homes
under construction.
Award:
The City won the 2020 Mississippi
Municipal Excellence Award for
Planning and Economic
Development for Brownfieid
redevelopment work.

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Cleanup included excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil,
backfilling the areas with new, clean soil and construction of new,
expanded parking areas. The initial Brownfield Agreement called for
demolition and removal of the on-site building; however, the property
owner recognized the potential in the existing structure and sought to
restore it for new commercial use. The state approved the use of the
existing building and the property owner began renovations. The goal of
the property upgrade was to retain the original historic design of the
building exterior, while completely redesigning the interior of the space.
Following state approval of the cleanup and completion of the property
upgrades, the property owner leased the new space to a local
restauranteur.
New Commercial and Residential Use
Today, the once-contaminated Reliable Equipment site is home to Uncle
Bubba's BBQ. Since opening it's doors in June 2019, this thriving new
restaurant has been providing residents and visitors with good food and
live entertainment. It includes an outdoor patio, seating for 200 and a full
bar. The business employs about 50 people and has breathed new life into
the once blighted property. In early 2020, the property owner leased
another small piece of the on-site building to another local business owner
who now operates a high-end retail boutique out of the space. The
business created three new part-time jobs and resulted in an additional
investment to design and decorate the business interior.
The successful cleanup and redevelopment of the property caught the eye
of another local developer, who decided to purchase the third site parcel.
The third, once-vacant property is now being developed into a new pocket
neighborhood. Once completed, the development will include five new,
single-family homes. Due to the city's close proximity to Memphis, and its
number one ranked public school system in the state, the city of Hernando
experienced a population increase of 107% between 2000 and 2010. The
new homes will help address the city's steadily growing population and
associated need for additional housing options.
Looking Forward
The EPA and state worked side-by-side with the city to help navigate the
Brownfields grant process and the resulting cleanup and redevelopment of
the Reliable Equipment site. Today, new development at this former
industrial property bolsters the local economy and provides the community
with new businesses, jobs and housing options. The close proximity of
these new commercial and residential amenities to the rest of the city's
downtown area improve the walkability of the community, resulting in
reduced vehicle miles travelled.
The restoration of the original site building has sparked interest among
other area business owners to improve their own buildings, which will
further improve the overall appeal of the historic downtown area. In
addition, another local developer has recently shown interest in using state
tax incentives to cleanup and redevelop another Brownfield site, less than
one block away from the former Reliable Equipment site. These new
developments are a testament to the effectiveness of public outreach,
collaboration, and the use of EPA Brownfields grants and state-sponsored
tax incentives to successfully restore and redevelop contaminated
properties. City-wide, the 2012 EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant
resulted in the availability of 90 acres for reuse, the creation more than 70
jobs and the ability of the city to leverage more than $50 million in funding.
"The EPA Brownfields
Assessment grant has truly
made an impact in the city
of Hernando, allowing for
the cleanup and
redevelopment of properties
that were contaminated or
perceived to have
environmental issues. The
grant has given the city an
opportunity to provide
education and outreach in
the community encouraging
redevelopment of
these sites."
Gia Matheny,
Economic Development
Director
City of Hernando, Mississippi
For More Information:
EPA Brownfields Program
Website
www.epa.gov/brownfields
EPA Region 4 Brownfields
(404) 562-8729
1
May 2020

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