From Chemical Wasteland to Fore! on the Shore in Wyandotte, Ml Private industry worked closely with state and local officials in Wyandotte, Michigan to transform 84 acres of vacant, contaminated industrial land into a waterfront park and golf course. The project has helped the community reclaim its riverfront and spur revitalization in the surrounding area. Wyandotte's location along the Detroit River just north of Lake Erie and on top of one of Michigan's largest veins of underground salt made it a prime location for heavy industrial development. Since the late 1800s, various companies have manufactured chemical products like caustic soda, chlorine, cement, dry ice, and sodium bicarbonate. Many of these companies were consolidated under the BASF Corporation in 1969. BASF continued to operate various chemical facilities in Wyandotte until 1980, when it began phasing out and consolidating its factories. One of the sites it sought to close was the South Works site, an 84- acre property along the Detroit River. While the location and size of the site were attractive to potential development, a century of chemical manufacturing left the soil and groundwater contaminated with mercury, polynuclear aromatics, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Based on a review of the contamination at the site, the State of Michigan initially recommended that the site be capped and that future development be prohibited. Meanwhile, the City of Wyandotte was seeking to reclaim public access to the riverfront and saw the potential redevelopment of the South Works site as an integral component of that effort. City officials were able to convince the State to work with BASF to develop a plan for preventing migration of the groundwater and allowing reuse of the site. By removing the requirement that the site be paved over, the State, City, and BASF chartered a course for a redevelopment of the site that would meet the community's needs. Together BASF and the community decided to dedicate the site to recreational uses. The northern third of the property would become a riverfront park and the southern two thirds would be turned into a links style golf course. BASF leased the site to the city for one dollar per year and the Michigan Coastal Management Program provided $25,000 to develop a design plan for turning the site into a recreational area. Preparing the site for the new use required stabilizing the shoreline and enhancing wildlife habitat through soft engineering techniques, which are less expensive and more aesthetically pleasing than breakwalls or steel sheet piling. To complete the project, BASF contributed $2 million, DNR provided $1.5 million in state recreation grants, and the City of Wyandotte contributed $4.5 million from its tax increment financing program. ------- Now complete, the Wyandotte Shores Golf Course property includes a park with a riverfront walkway and observation decks, picnic areas, jogging trails, and a rowing club. The site's redevelopment is linked to the broader revitalization of Wyandotte, sparking other projects and economic growth in the area. While the entire project cost approximately $5.2 million in public funds, user fees cover the ongoing operation and maintenance of the golf course. More importantly, the community has reclaimed a portion of its waterfront and is looking to keep it in good environmental health. The City and its partners have adopted an action plan to prevent potential threats to natural resources from the use of pesticides, fertilizers, fuel, and hazardous materials on the golf course. As a result of this effort, Wyandotte Shores has received the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP) seal of approval. MTESP is a partnership between the State, Michigan State University, and golf course owners to reduce the potentially negative environmental impacts of golf courses. Contact: Joseph M. Voszatka City of Wyandotte 734-324-4541 ------- A Brownfields Toolkit Revitalizing Southeastern Communities Building a Soccer Field of Dreams on a Landfill in Wilmington, NC The Cape Fear Youth Soccer Association (CFYSA) in Wilmington, North Carolina recently sought room to build soccer fields to accommodate the community's surging interest in youth soccer. Their search ended with the purchase of a former landfill that will become a regional soccer park. Over the last decade, CFYSA saw participation increase from 800 kids on 46 teams to 4,000 kids on more than 200 teams. As a result, adequate field space became a major issue. Teams play on fields spread throughout Hanover County that were shared with schools and the parks and recreation department. CFYSA had to compete for field space with other worthwhile uses and the fields were often overused and in disrepair. Due to the scarcity of remaining large tracts of open space suitable for athletic fields in Hanover County, land prices were exorbitant and sites were not centrally located. The least expensive tract was more than $5,000 per acre and was located in the northern end of the County. However, CFYSA learned of the availability of the 65 acre former Flemington Landfill site through the North Carolina Brownfields program. The site had been idle for twenty years, had caused some contamination of the groundwater, and was a significant community eyesore. Now complete, the Wyandotte Shores Golf Course property includes a park with a riverfront walkway and observation decks, picnic areas, jogging trails, and a rowing club. The site was significantly cheaper than other available properties ($400 per acre). It is ideally located near the City of Wilmington's riverfront with easy access to major transportation corridors, and, unlike much of the land in the area, 100 percent was usable because there are no wetlands on site. When CFYSA first considered the Flemington site, it had the typical concerns and reservations about contamination of the soil. However, significant tests of the soil conducted over the years by state and local agencies, and the North Carolina Brownfields program alleviated their concerns. In addition, the CFYSA has worked closely with the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources to develop a plan to ensure that any landfill contaminants are capped and isolated so they pose no danger to human health or the groundwater. When fully developed, the Cape Fear Soccerplex will contain 14 competition fields, an office/conference building for the CFYSA, a concession building, maintenance facility, first aid facility, picnic shelters, playgrounds, parking for 800 vehicles, and a 1.5 mile jogging trail. The Soccerplex will host tournaments throughout the year and local officials anticipate a $4-7 million positive impact on the local economy per tournament. State Representative Danny McComas, the primary sponsor of the state of North Carolina's Brownfields legislation said, "This shows what can happen when common-sense legislation is enacted. ------- This project is a result of a collaborative effort between environmentalists, regulatory authorities and business." In other words, this project was a big score, and a win-win for all involved. Construction began in 2005 and CFYSA hopes play will begin in 2006. Contact: Frank Braxton Landscape Architect 910-254 9333 Jim Braswell Cape Fear Youth Soccer Association 910-392-0306 ------- |