Technical Assistance Success Stories | EPA #560F23301 March 2023 Planning for Sustainable Brownfield Redevelopment FUNDING & FINANCING STRATEGY = CENTRAL LOUISIANA STATE HOSPITAL PINEVILLE, LA (EPA REGION 6) SITE STATISTICS • Community: Pineville, Louisiana • Local project lead: City of Pineville, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) • Former use: State Hospital • Future use: Mixed-Use Development • Brownfields technical assistance: Preparation of a redevelopment funding/financing strategy PROJECT BACKGROUND The 409-acre Central Louisiana State Hospital site is a state psychiatric hospital facility located in Pineville, Louisiana, a diverse community of approximately 14,000 residents. The site has potential for reuse because of its key attributes, including property size, location near downtown Pineville, and availability of utilities, In 2022, the U.S. EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) provided technical assistance (TA) to conduct a market analysis and prepare a revitalization plan for the site. The subsequent plan envisioned site redevelopment as a community containing over 200 single family homes and townhouses, over 300 apartments, 18 acres of commercial/office/retail space, and 200 acres of greenspace, PROJECT CHALLENGE Following development of the revitalization plan, the Louisiana DEQ and the City of Pineville needed funding and financing TA to better understand how to fund the necessary infrastructure associated with future site redevelopment. The site poses numerous challenges to site redevelopment, such as remediation of environmental conditions, aged infrastructure, and the presence of over 100 structures that require demolition. Further, portions of the site may be undevelopable due to the presence of historic structures, archeological sites, flood plains, and mature trees. HOW EPA HELPED In 2022-23, OBLR provided TA to conduct a funding and financial analysis for the Central Louisiana State Hospital site, The TA included the following support: • Identifying Predevelopment Activities and a High-Level Cost Estimate: A list of predevelopment activities that would likely need to be undertaken prior to site redevelopment was prepared, including abatement and demolition, UST removal and soil cleanup, preservation of open space, evaluation and upgrade of utility infrastructure, and related planning and engineering tasks, High-level cost estimates were prepared for each activity. • Developing a Funding and Financing Strategy: A funding and financing strategy was prepared to outline steps the City and State can undertake to advance the site towards redevelopment. The strategy also identified specific funding programs associated with predevelopment planning, engineering, and construction activities. COMMUNITY'S NEXT STEPS • Apply for and secure funding to complete predevelopment planning and engineering activities, including conducting demolition, remediation, and abatement; preparing a conditions assessment of all onsite infrastructure; and developing traffic/design and engineering plans for future internal roadway systems and external site access. • Establish a project management structure, such as creating a Steering Committee led by a project manager, that is tasked with overseeing the implementation of predevelopment activities and to undertake the developer solicitation process. Figure 1: Aerial of the Central Louisiana State Hospital site Questions? Please contact EPA Region 6: Emily Jimenez ------- |