Revitalizing Southeastern Communities A Brownfields Toolkit Baraboo, Wl Turns Old Rail Yard into New Service Center The City of Baraboo (population 10,000) was a center for significant commercial and industrial activity in the 19th century. In the 1870s, Chicago & Northwestern (C&NW) built one of the state's largest rail yards, and ran the Baraboo rail yard until the 1930s. Switching operations were active there until the 1950s, when a local scrap dealer leased the property and built a large warehouse, operating a scrap yard until the 1990s. In the 1990s, a local earthmoving contractor rented the warehouse and used the property as a staging and repair yard. Due to the long history of industrial and rail activities at the site, the property's soil and groundwater were contaminated with petroleum constituents, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and PCBs. In almost all areas of the yard, metal, car parts, wood, plastic, and other debris were found in the upper three feet of the soil. Nearly 10 of the site's 12 acres were contaminated. Baraboo used about six acres for its redevelopment project — the establishment of a 66,000-square-foot City Service Center, which is now home to the City's public utility, streets and sanitation, water utility, and park departments. The remaining land was used for green space. The City of Baraboo performed Phase I and II environmental site assessments on the City Service Center site in 1997 and 1998. The site was then cleared of all existing buildings, refuse, and railroad debris. No active soil remediation was necessary, because, given the proposed use, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) authorized capping the surface of the site with asphalt, gravel, and the building slab to eliminate exposure to contaminated soil. The rail yard also had a large underground storage tank (UST), which was removed through the Wisconsin Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Act program, and that portion of the site was capped by the new roadways and parking lots. Groundwater impacts are being remediated by natural attenuation and monitored with on-site and off-site monitoring wells. The Baraboo City Council approved many resolutions related to the project, including measures to condemn the property so that the City could obtain liability protection while working cooperatively with the property owners. The condemnation process provided the mechanism for acquiring the property, and facilitating redevelopment by consolidating the parcels that had been under diverse ownership. Through televised meetings and coverage in the daily newspaper, the Council kept the public informed of its decisions with information about project financing, site reuse plans, and grant applications. In 2000, Baraboo received a $30,000 Wisconsin DNR Brownfield Site Assessment Grant for site demolition and debris removal. The City also received a $250,000 brownfields redevelopment grant from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Although the Commerce Department normally reserves its brownfield grants for private-sector projects that enhance the tax base and create jobs on ------- brownfield sites, the City was able to obtain the grant due to the project's ability to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of the area — which, given its location in town adjoining the historic Circus World Museum, had a significant positive impact on Baraboo's tourism industry. In addition, the City Council passed a $4.2-million general obligation bond to construct the City Service Center, paving the way for private sector investment around Circus World by minimizing the investment risk. Contact: Mike Schmoller Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 101 S. Webster Street Box 7921 Madison, Wl 53707-7921 608-275-3303 ------- Revitalizing Southeastern Communities A Brownfields Toolkit New Hope and New Cancer Center on Old Brownfield in Springfield, OH In 2002, a Springfield, Ohio real estate developer took notice of an old scrap yard in downtown Springfield, long idled and forgotten, and perceived as an eyesore. In actuality, the lot sat on a majestic bluff overlooking a large, green, community park — and the developer knew the spot was prime. However, instead of pursuing the most typical, easiest, profit-driven development approach, Peter Noonan of Midland Properties, launched an idea that is now bringing new hope to the community and many of its citizens — a regional cancer treatment center. And, because the City of Springfield was willing to bear the risks and costs of cleanup at the site, the project was started, and finished, in record time. Prior to this project, the closest cancer treatment center was Ohio State's James Cancer Center, located in Columbus, more than an hour away. It was surely an inconvenience for those in need of treatment, but until a population sampling was done, it was not known just how many people were affected. A survey estimated that I out of 100 people in the Springfield area will experience cancer, or over 1,500 out of a population of only 150,000, by the year 2006. Residents were traveling to Columbus for care, some making the trip every day. The Springfield Cancer center brought urgently needed help to the Springfield Metropolitan area. Through the innovative ideas and sustained commitment of the City staff and through strong public- private and non-profit partnerships, Springfield was able to develop the cancer center. Developer Noonan worked with the Community Hospital and Mercy Health Partners to begin planning the project for the site, but the plans stalled due to the tremendous potential costs and responsibilities of an environmental cleanup. It was at this point that this so-far typical brownfield site developed into a more unique situation. Springfield officials grasped the possible advantages of the relationship, and were eager to make both the medical facility and the cancer center a reality. The City stepped in to acquire the site, and became responsible for the risks of liability, cleanup, and brownfields fundraising. The City signed a redevelopment agreement with the hospital partnership, and agreed to take charge of the grant applications and brownfield cleanup. After the agreement was signed, Hull & Associates, Inc., a consulting partner to the City for 9 years, was brought in to begin work on site assessments, and remedial activities through Ohio EPA's Voluntary Action Program (VAP) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Track. The Hull team also completed demolition, site planning, and site engineering for new construction. The goal was to get the site to a clean, workable standard, at which point it would be turned back over to the hospitals and Midland Properties to begin work on the cancer center. Opening the center by August 2004 was an idealistic timeframe, but each party involved was dedicated to the outcome, and the Springfield Regional Cancer Center treated its first patients on August 2, 2004. The center currently has four oncologists on staff. The building is an alluring mix of architectural styles, combining H.H. Richardson's penchant for copper roofs, limestone facades and grand archways ------- with Frank Lloyd Wright's passion for nature. Both Richardson's and Wright's styles feature prominently in Springfield's downtown area, and the partnership recognized the significance of these architectural influences. The Springfield Regional Cancer Center is unique, not only because of the path taken to revitalize the site and build the center, but because of what it offers. There is a community resource center on the grounds, an American Cancer Society office, a wig shop, self-image consulting, and counselors for patients and their families. The Center provides more than just medical treatment. It is a full service facility, dedicated to helping the residents of the Springfield area throughout their entire healing process. Contact: Shannon Meadows City of Springfield 937-324-7300 ------- Revitalizing Southeastern Communities A Brownfields Toolkit From Health Risk to Health Services Provider in Clearwater, FL The North Greenwood neighborhood sits less than a mile north of downtown Clearwater, Florida. The area is an African-American enclave whose history reaches back to the earliest years of the 20th century. The neighborhood began to decline in the 1960s. But beginning in the late 1980s and continuing through the 1990s, led by civic and community leaders and supported by the City of Clearwater, the neighborhood began to turn itself around. In 1995, a retired nurse and neighborhood resident founded the North Greenwood Health Resource Center, at the time consisting of two refurbished apartments. In 2003, construction began on the new North Greenwood Health Resource center complex, on the site of a former gas station and garage that had been long vacant. The brownfield property was purchased by the City of Clearwater with state brownfields funds. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the City of Clearwater entered into a Southwest District Brownfields Site Rehabilitation Agreement (BRSA) and worked cooperatively to see the project through its remediation process. The City carried out site assessments, which found excessively contaminated soil. A waste oil underground storage tank (UST), a 4000-gallon UST, a 2000-gallon gasoline UST, 500-gallon kerosene UST and a hydraulic lift were excavated and removed in March 1999. A concrete underground grease trap was also found during excavation. More than 400 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil were removed and transported to a thermal treatment facility. As part of the City's environmental justice plan, representatives of North Greenwood participated in redevelopment planning and voted unanimously for the city to lease the property to the nonprofit clinic. On March 18, 2000, ground was broken for the Greenwood Community Health Resource Center. Now, the North Greenwood neighborhood has a new health facility offering immunizations, physicals, tests and screenings, flu shots, and counseling to residents of the neighborhood. This project shows how public support of basic services can be done in a way which also allows communities to meet important brownfield cleanup and revitalization objectives. In North Greenwood, it was a community voice and visionary who recommended that City officials lease the former gas station site to the Greenwood Community Health Resource Center for $1 a year for 30 years. The State of Florida provided $200,000 to help pay for the cleanup of underground storage tanks and removal of contaminated soil. Another $320,000 in state funds paid for construction of the new facility. The State also provides support for the clinic's operating costs. In short, the Greenwood Community Health Center is a model clinic designed to assist low income residents in the Clearwater area in obtaining adequate health care screenings and education. It is a vital ------- example of how revitalization of a former brownfields can enhance a community in a way that extends far beyond economic value. Contact: Diane Hufford City of Clearwater 727-562-4054 ------- Revitalizing Southeastern Communities A Brownfields Toolkit Trenton, NJ Recycles Abandoned Gas Stations to Meet Community Needs The City of Trenton, New Jersey has taken advantage of the prime locations of abandoned gas stations to create new public facilities and community amenities in underserved neighborhoods. In Trenton's West Ward, a primarily residential area along the Delaware River, the City purchased a vacant 1.5 acre property, formerly the site of a local newspaper, pizzeria, and auto service station, for redevelopment. Although two underground storage tanks (USTs) were removed from the service station site, the City encountered two other unexpected waste oil tanks. The City removed the USTs, cleaned up the soil contaminated by leaks, and investigated the site to identify any residual contamination. In all, 95 tons of contaminated soil were removed from the site. Funding from the EPA under its "USTfield Revitaiization" initiative helped Trenton defray cleanup expenses and leverage state funding from the New Jersey Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) for environmental investigation at the site. In the Fall of 2001, buildings on the site were demolished. Construction of a new firehouse began in was completed in 2002. The firehouse was important to this neighborhood, which until then was suffering from unacceptable emergency response times. In addition, Trenton has redeveloped three other USTfield sites for community use: The West Ward Senior Center: During the redevelopment of this site as a senior center, an environmental investigation associated with an oil collection pit revealed two 550 gallon underground waste oil tanks. The state environmental manager working on site ordered that the tanks be removed immediately. Federal USTfields funds covered the cost of this emergency removal, which otherwise could have significantly delayed the project until other funding was obtained. Now the site is converted to a new senior center, which is providing numerous services to the City's senior population. Martin Luther King Boulevard: This site was an old corner gas station that raised environmental justice concerns in a low income neighborhood along Trenton's Martin Luther King Boulevard. Over 1,000 tons of contaminated soil, five USTs, and two buried waste oil drums were removed from the small 2,000 square foot site. The cleanup was a part of the City's larger redevelopment plans for the area that includes new housing, a new school, and improvements to the neighborhood park. A nearby site owner is redeveloping the USTfield site into a parking lot to support neighborhood businesses. ------- Canal Plaza: This vacant lot is a former dairy and important part of the City's past and future. It is situated near the Delaware and Raritan Canal which runs through Trenton, near a new affordable housing development (built on a former brownfield), and across the street from Battle Monument Park, a historic site commemorating the Battle of Trenton. This neighborhood was also the center of civil rights rioting in the City in the 1960s. During an environmental investigation of the property, an unexpected, 1,000 gallon UST was uncovered. The tank and 150 tons of contaminated soil have since been removed. The site has been redeveloped by a faith- based developer into market rate housing — the first market rate housing constructed in Trenton in years —as well as community open space. In each of these four cases, aggressive cleanup action, such as tank and soil removal, have improved the marketability and transformation prospects for the target sites. The City of Trenton has gone out of its way to do everything possible to ensure that cleanup is complete. Contact: JR Capasso City of Trenton 609-989-3501 jcapasso@trentonnj.org ------- |