Technical Assistance Success Stories | EPA #560F23297 March 2023 Planning for Sustainable Brownfield Redevelopment ECONOMIC RECOVERY & FUNDING ANALYSIS - FRANKLIN, WV (EPA REGION 3) SITE STATISTICS Community: Franklin, West Virginia Local project lead: Pendleton County Economic & Community Development Authority (EDA) Former use: Hanover Shoe Factory Current use: Office Space and Warehouse Storage Future use: Mixed-Use Office, Artisan Craft, Entertainment, Maker Space, and Innovation Brownfields technical assistance: Preparation of conceptual designs and funding/financial analysis PROJECT BACKGROUND The Pendleton Business Center (PBC) is a 33.7-acre site located at 100 Thorn Creek Road in Franklin, WV. The site was a former Hanover Shoe Factory that was built in 1968 and operated until the late 1990s. The site has been owned by the Pendleton County Economic & Community Development Authority (EDA) since 2005. The site contains a 97,122 square foot building that was designed for light industrial and manufacturing. With a recent downturn in employment in the area due to the closure of the local Sugar Grove Navy Base, the EDA identified a need to expand employment infrastructure to offset job losses and increase employment opportunities. Figure 1: Pendleton Business Center, Franklin, MA/ PROJECT CHALLENGE The EDA needed technical assistance (TA) to identify creative strategies for conceptual reuse of the PBC building and the financial analysis/assessment of potential funding options. Site conditions at the PBC site pose challenges for future redevelopment, and the extent and cost of environmental remediation is currently unknown. More than 70,000 sf of the building is un-utilized, and the building requires new mechanical systems - HVAC, electric, plumbing, and other renovations. HOW EPA HELPED In 2022-2023, the U.S. EPAs Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) provided TA to support redevelopment of the Pendleton Business Center in Franklin, WV. The TA included the following support: • Community Engagement: Stakeholder interviews were conducted to obtain input regarding community needs and the future redevelopment of the PBC site. • Financial Analysis: A financial model was prepared to help EDA estimate the potential revenues and costs of building out and redeveloping the PBC property based on different reuse concepts. • Conceptual Reuse Plans: Conceptual reuse options were developed for the PBC building and surrounding property, including examples and precedents of other similar brownfield redevelopments in the Appalachian region. COMMUNITY'S NEXT STEPS • Continue to identify available state and federal funding opportunities and technical resources. • Apply for an EPA Brownfields Cleanup grant once the Environmental Site Assessment Phase II report is available to fund cleanup of any existing contamination sources - tanks, drums, asbestos, and soil (if necessary). • Review the PBC reuse plan options and concepts to identify a reuse goal. • Reach out to potential reuse partners in the Pendleton County area regarding redevelopment of the property - successful partnerships can be a key to kickstarting the redevelopment process and create momentum for future investment. • Phase the build-out and redevelopment of the PBC site. Questions? Please contact EPA Region 3: Joseph Nowak ------- |