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 UŁ Q Friends of South Berwick Public Library O Capitol Campaign: $1,000,000 "Z. a Town of South Berwick: $2,051,061 z 3 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- x A geothermal system will lessen the Library's reliance on o fossil fuels and electricity for heating and cooling. X (5 Supported an estimated 14 lull-time positions and X 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 ------- |