Un4 & Community devitalization

BROWNFIELDS SUCCESS IN NEW ENGLAND

SOUTH BERWICK PUBLIC LIBRARY
SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE

Address: 29 Young Street, South Berwick, ME, 03908
Size:	2.10 acres

Former Use:	Former St. Michael's Church

Contaminants: Asbestos, lead-based paint, universal

hazardous wastes, mold
Current Use:	Municipal library

Owner:	Town of South Berwick

Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission (SMRPC),
Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP),
Town of South Berwick, Friends of South Berwick Public
Library

Motivation for Redevelopment: Located on the southern New
Hampshire border, the town of South Berwick, Maine lias
transformed a former church into their new public library.

Though the town lias had a library since 1878, they never found a
permanent home for their collections until now. This central
location, which is adjacent to an elementary school and in the
heart of the town's downtown district, was a perfect fit.

Additionally, the Southern Maine Regional Planning
Commission (SMRPC) saw this project as inspirational for other
small towns looking to revitalize their downtown centers and
incite community involvement. While the SMRPC normally
funds mill-type properties for brownfields revitalization, this
project presented a unique opportunity to attract investment and
deter sprawl, ultimately making improvements extending beyond
the site's remediation.

Property History: Based upon available historical information
the site was first used as agricultural land prior to 1887. Between
1887 and 2008, the Roman Catholic Church served the town in
this location. In 2008, the Church moved to a new spot and left
the site vacant. The rectory was moved to a nearby parcel and
will serve as housing potentially. Site investigation found that the
church building, rectory, and garage were originally constructed
with asbestos-containing siding. During the time of vacancy, the
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC) was
turned off which resulted in significant mold growth.
Additionally, all painted interior and exterior surfaces contained
lead paint. Mercury-containing fluorescent light tubes and
thermostat switches, PCB-laden ballasts, and batteries containing
heavy metals, were found throughout the three buildings.

Project Results: A portion of EPA's revolving loan fund (RLF)
award to SMRPC in 2007 turned into a subgrant of $200,000 to
the Friends of South Berwick Public Library for cleanup
activities. All asbestos-containing waste, lead-containing paint,
universal waste, and mold-impacted materials were removed and
disposed properly. All other building materials were cleaned and
coated with anti-fungal primer.



Assessment and Cleanup





SMRPC Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund





Cleanup Subgrant:

$200,000



SMPRC Brownfields Assessment Grant:

$32,416

to

Town of South Berwick;

$77,318

<

Building Addition and Renovation



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Friends of South Berwick Public Library



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Capitol Campaign:

$1,000,000

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a

Town of South Berwick:

$2,051,061

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Additional Leveraging



u.

Rectory:

$300,000



Pre-project consultation:

$41,641



Parcel sale (senior housing complex):

$286,000



Salmon Falls Nursery in-ldnd landscaping:

$13,750



Hall Roofing:

$3,400

1-

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• A geothermal system will lessen the Library's reliance on

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fossil fuels and electricity for heating and cooling.

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• Supported an estimated 14 lull-time positions and

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received nearly $59,000 in in-ldnd donations.



For this $3.75 million project, the Town contributed nearly $1.8
million to the project. The Friends of South Berwick Public
Library rallied the community to raise nearly $1 million to make
the site redevelopment a reality. The project itself generated an
unprecedented amount of community support and in-kind
donations for the Town. For example, the entry doors were
crafted by a local craftsman and all of the landscaping was
donated and installed by a local landscaper.

Along with renovating the Church's Great Hall, an addition was
built and opened to the public in the spring of 2012. Even with
just the use of this space so far, the Library is already regularly
frequented by townsfolk and is engaging in outreach with the
school next door. Additionally, part of the parcel was sold for
affordable senior housing and it is hoped that someday the
abutting storefronts will be able to open their back doors to
connect to the library, which will make for a more walk-able
community. When completed, the new South Berwick Public
Library will undoubtedly become a locus of community activity,
draw even more residents to the downtown, and increase the
Town's attractiveness to potential new residents and businesses.

TIMELINE

Apr. 2009

Phase I ESA completed

June 2009

Hazardous Materials Inventory completed

Mar. 2010

Phase II ES A completed

July 2010

Cleanup planning

Aug. 2010

Phase I ESA updated

Dec. 2010

Cleanup activities complete on site

Feb.2012

Cleanup certified complete by ME DEP

Mar. 2012

1800 sq. ft addition opened

Sept. 2012

Grand opening (projected)

June 2012

Local Contact: Chuck Morgan, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission • (207) 324-2952 • cmorgan@siiirpc.org


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