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The City of Indianapolis, in conjunction with the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), recently created a grant and loan program that provides funding opportunities for both not-for-profit and for-profit entities. Offering $300,000 in grants and loans to aid organizations in site assessment and clean-up activities, this is the city’s first-ever brownfields grant and loan program. In announcing the new program, Mayor Bart Peterson commented, “Redeveloping brownfields not only removes blight and helps protect the health and safety of our community, but also creates jobs and economic investment. We are committed to working with neighborhoods to redevelop these eyesores into locations that benefit our city.” Under the auspices of the new program, grants are available to not-for-profit entities and require a 50% match with a maximum grant amount of $20,000. The grants are targeted towards community and neighborhood organizations. In addition, loan funds are available to both not-for-profit and for-profit entities with a maximum loan amount of $50,000 available per project. Rates range from 2.5% to 3.0% depending on the length of the loan. The loan program is targeted at private developers. Since the program’s inception, the city has awarded seven grants totaling $82,282. For more information about the City of Indianapolis’ brownfields redevelopment initiatives, log on to www.indygov.org/dmdrealestate/brownfields/brownfields.htm or contact Kyle Hendricks at (317) 327-5845.
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman announced four winners of the first National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. The award recognizes innovative approaches and actions taken by state, local, and regional governments to achieve smart growth. Each award recipient incorporated principles of smart growth to create places that respect community culture and the environment, foster economic development, and enhance quality of life. “The driving force of smart growth is to provide each American with greater quality of life by developing healthy communities with flourishing economies, open space for parks and recreation, and convenient transportation choices,” said Whitman during the award ceremony at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. “That’s what this award does—shines a spotlight on the best of the best smart growth achievements.” South Bend and Indianapolis Receive EPA Underground Storage Pilot Awards In July, U.S. EPA notified the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) that it was selected to receive two Underground Storage Tank “USTfields” Pilot awards for the cities of South Bend and Indianapolis. Each pilot program is to receive $100,000 in grant funding to address petroleum contamination at federally-regulated UST sites. These federal funds, in addition to the new state Petroleum Remediation Grant Incentive monies, will be extremely helpful for Indiana communities to address their abandoned gas station sites and other sites with leaking underground storage tanks. This federal USTfields Initiative is provided through the U.S. EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks, which is outside the U.S. EPA Brownfields program. The intent is to parallel the successes of the federal Brownfields Redevelopment Economic Initiative. Even different federal offices understand that partnering with brownfields initiatives results in more effective remediation and redevelopment opportunities. Springfield Wins Green Building Grant October 3, 2002 Boston - The U.S. EPA today announced that the city of Springfield, MA is one of eight communities nationally to be awarded EPA’s first Green Building on Brownfields demonstration project funds. The city will receive up to $15,000 in consultant services for the development stage of a green building project. The city of Springfield and the New North Citizen’s Council, a non-profit social service organization in Springfield’s Memorial Square neighborhood, plan to build a 25,000 square foot building on a brownfield that incorporates the following design elements: optimal energy performance, use of renewable energy sources, daylighting technology, and the use of low-emitting construction materials. The area consists of ten properties, totaling 1.2 acres, including the site of the current offices for New North Citizen’s Council, city-owned brownfields and several adjoining vacant lots. The site where this building is to be built, is a 12,655 square foot parcel owned by the city. Springfield previously received $400,000 from EPA’s Brownfields Assessment Pilot program and, among other projects, completed an environmental assessment of this parcel. The city has agreed to cleanup the site and ready it for redevelopment. EPA and NH DES Fund Brownfields Assessment December 2, 2002 Boston - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) have agreed to fund a $75,000 brownfields assessment at a 19th century former woolen mill in Troy, NH. DES will use its contract consultants, Sanborn Head and Associates, to assess potential contamination at the 19-acre Troy Mills property at 30 Monadnock St. Since the beginning of the federal brownfields program in 1995, New Hampshire has received $5.5 million. “The federal brownfields program is trying to jump start the economy by providing funds to communities to assess idled properties that have the potential for reuse,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA New England. “Across New England, we are fueling local economies and encouraging new businesses.” New Hampshire DES Acting Commissioner, Dana Bisbee, praised the town of Troy for initiating this brownfields project. “Redeveloping industrial sites like Troy Mills is critical for maintaining a town’s economic vitality, as well as preserving its heritage of historic buildings. Efforts like this one have proven successful in many other New Hampshire communities and DES is committed to helping ensure the success of this revitalization project.” In its early years, Troy Mill manufactured tailored horse blankets. More recently, the mill produced car upholstery with synthetic fibers. At the time the mill closed, there were approximately 25 employees. Troy Mills filed for bankruptcy in 2001. The town of Troy is interested in redeveloping the site to attract new business, and put the mill property into full productive use. Tenants currently occupy portions of the mill building, although the facility is largely unused. Troy Selectmen welcomed the news. “Fear of environmental liabilities is a big barrier to reuse, and the mill was a big part of our community’s economic base. This assessment will help remove that barrier and promote redevelopment of the Troy Mills complex as a productive asset. DES and EPA are making a big difference for our small town with this project!” DES consultants visited the site last week to design the environmental investigation. The site assessment will include field investigations, including soil sampling, groundwater monitoring, and an assessment of conditions inside the mill building. Based on findings from these consultants, Sanborn Head and Associates will develop a detailed plan for cleaning up the site. These grants are funded through the new Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act signed by President Bush in January to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. As part of his fiscal 2003 budget request, Bush has called for doubling funds available for the brownfields program to $200 million. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. For more information on brownfields in New England, visit EPA’s
website at http://www.epa.gov/ne/brownfields/. |
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