Technical Assistance Success Stories | EPA #560F23294

March 2023

Planning for Sustainable Brownfield Redevelopment

REUSE ASSESSMENT & MODELING - CULEBRA, PUERTO RICO (EPA REGION 2)

SITE STATISTICS

•	Community: Culebra, Puerto Rico

•	Local project lead: Mujeres de Islas and City of Culebra

•	Former use: Industrial

•	Future use: Mixed-use development to include a community hub, emergency center, and affordable housing

•	Brownfields technical assistance: Site reuse assessment and funding/financing analysis

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The vacant industrial site, located at the Parque Industrial Playa
Sardina II in the Barrio of Playa Sardinas II, Culebra, Puerto Rico, is
owned by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company
(PRIDCO). A 49,804 square foot abandoned building at the site was
previously used as an animal testing facility and for production of
needles and plastic tubing, fuel and equipment storage, and relief
efforts during Hurricanes Maria and Irma. The building has sustained
significant damage from tropical storms and hurricanes over the
years, leaving it in disrepair.

PROJECT CHALLENGE

The municipality of Culebra has developed a comprehensive recovery plan to address the impacts from prior hurricanes and
needed technical assistance (TA) to consider the PRIDCO site for economic development opportunities and affordable
housing. The municipality also identified a need for parking because of the large number of tourists the island attracts
annually. TA was needed to refine conceptual design options and develop a financing plan for the PRIDCO site, with a goal
of redeveloping the site from its current vacant and dilapidated state into a productive use consistent with the municipality's
revitalization activities for the island following the aftermath of hurricanes Maria and Irma. An initial financing assessment
determined that market-based housing would not be viable and that public subsidies would be required.

HOW EPA HELPED

In 2022-2023, the U.S. EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) provided TA to support the

redevelopment of the PRIDCO site. The TA included the following support:

•	Identification of Natural Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Opportunities to include renewable energy and resiliency
design features in the concept reuse plan were assessed, including floodplain mitigation strategies and hurricane-
resistant design measures.

•	Modeling and Analysis of Funding and Financing Options: Stakeholder interviews were conducted and market data
was analyzed to develop a funding and financing feasibility analysis for the proposed redevelopment of the site.

•	Development of Reuse Plan: A final Reuse Plan was developed to summarize feedback from stakeholders, results
from the building assessment, alternative design options, proposed sustainable and flood control measures, funding
and financing strategy and approach, and other key considerations/next steps.

COMMUNITY'S NEXT STEPS

•	Explore opportunities to implement the reuse design concept for the PRIDCO site and seek a co-developer partner.

•	Implement the short- and long-term strategies that are identified in the PRIDCO site Financing Plan.

•	Conduct a Phase II environmental assessment to better understand and address environmental concerns.

Questions? Please contact EPA Region 2: Zolvmar Luna

Figure 1: PRIDCO building, Culebra, Puerto Rico


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