Region 5 Brownfields

Beginning in 2004 each of these projects is presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Regional Administrator at the Region 5 Open House during the National Brownfields Conference. Success Story Posters are created annually featuring a successful project in each of Region 5's States. Nominations for these Success Stories must be received no later than April 1, 2009. Nominations may be submitted from any nominator--community or individual. A nomination form is here (PDF) (1 pg, 82K, About PDF)

This page provides links to non-EPA Web sites that provide additonal information about the stories. You will leave the EPA.gov domain and enter another page with more information. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of information on that non-EPA page. Providing links to a non-EPA Web site is not an endorsement of the other site or the information it contains by EPA or any of its employees. Also, be aware that the privacy protection provided on the EPA.gov domain (see Privacy and Security Notice) may not be available at the external link.

In 1997 Chicago was designated as a U.S. EPA Showcase Community. Grant funds awarded with this designation were leveraged with other grants, such as the Illinois EPA, and from developers and builders to create environmental improvements that benefit the city.

A concrete crushing facility, operating illegally, accepted construction demolition material and was found with a 70 foot tall heap of contaminated debris. The firm declared bankruptcy. The city disposed of the demolition material and recycled the 589,000 tons of crushed concrete into material for city infrastructure projects.

Since 2002 this site has been home to the Chicago Center for Green Technology. Nationally known, this LEED Platinum Standard building has solar roof panels to generate its own electricity. It houses classrooms for teaching sustainable design and green technology. Its parking lot is "paved" with shredded rubber tires; its green roof and swales surrounding the building reduce the amount of rain water going into city sewers.

In another project Chicago cleaned up an auto repair shop, removing or covering contaminated soil. A building was erected, home to Jubilee Family Resource Center. The Resource Center provides much needed daycare year round for 200 children and offers jobs to 38 adults.

A third project turned an abandoned carriage and automobile manufacturing plant dating back to 1895 into Parnell Place, a new community offering home ownership in 42 new homes. A blighted eyesore has become a community that encourages foster families keeping siblings together. Parnell Place offers daycare, after school programs and family-oriented activities.

For more information, visit the City of Chicago, Department of Environment

Archives:  2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

The City of Indianapolis recognized that many abandoned or degraded industrial sites were in areas where neighborhood renovation and redevelopment would take place in the near future. A one-at-a-time approach to each site did not seem efficient. Instead, Indianapolis utilized a U.S. EPA Brownfields grant in 2006 that made it possible to assess a 540 acre blighted area within the city that impacted commercial, industrial and residential decisions over a great portion of this 403 square mile state capitol. The project culminated in Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Area Survey (Survey).

The Monon Trail Greenway bisects the survey area running north - south. The original Monon Rail Line was an integral draw for industrial development in the 1800s and early 1900s. Today the Monon Trail Greenway replaces the old Monon Rail line and provides an integral draw for redevelopment of the neighborhood linking the downtown urban core to suburbs to the north. Brownfield sites are clustered around the Monon Trail and provide both a significant redevelopment challenge, and opportunities that the Survey is designed to address.

Over 75 parcels were studied with full Phase I Environmental Site Assessments completed on about 20 sites. Strong community involvement from both business and community groups helped identify locations for new or expanded businesses, residential areas and nearby greenspaces that are making both commercial and residential areas more attractive. Recognizing the efficacy of the project's area-wide approach, two local community development corporations (CDCs) have now commissioned similar brownfield surveys. A local developer has utilized the study to explore acquisition and cleanup of three junkyard sites identified in the study.

Twenty-five new homes have been built in the eastern portion of the survey area, with dozens more presently under construction. The Survey is assisting the private residential development market by providing environmental data to promote cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites in the area. By reducing barriers to redeveloping these brownfield sites this project has promoted the crucial commercial redevelopment component to well-rounded neighborhood redevelopment.

For more information, visit IndyGov

Archives:  2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Eaton County recognized the need for redevelopment in its county seat of Eaton Rapids. A county housing study had identified the need for housing for senior citizens. Assessment funded by a U.S. EPA Brownfields grant identified the need to remove USTs and hydraulic lifts from an abandoned school bus garage. Private investment covered these removal costs. The local school district was eager to have this property put back into use and add to the local economy. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority helped with redevelopment incentives.

This old bus garage will be the site of a 40-unit housing center scheduled to be complete by January 2008. This center is being established to serve senior citizens, a much-needed facility in the rural area.

Another site included in this project was assessment and renovation of a block of old business buildings in the town center. Hall Street businesses have back doors on a river that flows through the town. Upgrading the facades of the buildings and renovating the river path has done much to make this business area more attractive and economically profitable.

For more information, visit the Eaton County Information Network

Archives:  2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Since 1940, this 10-acre site, now known as the National Lead/Golden Auto site, had been used primarily for lead smelting and auto salvage. The industrial operations and on-site waste disposal resulted in significant lead, cadmium, arsenic and petroleum contamination. The site was placed on both the Federal and State Superfund lists in 1983.

A combination of low interest U.S. EPA loans administered through Hennepin County and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), along with grants funds from Hennepin County, Minnesota DEED, Metropolitan Council and tax increment financing provided by the City of St. Louis Park, made cleanup and redevelopment of this site possible. The site was removed from Superfund lists in 2001. Real Estate Recycling, a developer specializing in cleaning up such properties, conducted further cleanup to make it possible to redevelop, worked on redevelopment, contributed funds to the project and purchased the site in 2006.

Highway 7 Business Center, a modern office showroom incorporating green design elements, was completed in June 2007. The new facility will generate over 350 jobs and add $150,000 annually to the local tax base.

For more information, visit the Hennepin County, Minn. and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

Archives:  2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Mosler Safe was a major employer in the City of Hamilton, a manufacturer of vaults, safes, and security products in the city from 1891 until 1996. It also maintained its corporate headquarters in its 480,000 square foot facility.

In 2002 much of Hamilton's industrial area became a Federally Designated Renewal Community Area. In 2003 the city was awarded a $2,383,500 State of Ohio Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant to fund remediation and demolition of the Mosler Safe site.

The project included demolition of the company's structure, removal of over 32,500 tons of lead-contaminated soil, removal of underground storage tanks, asbestos abatement and removal of PCB transformers. In 2000 the city received a $500,000 U.S. EPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund to assist with further remediation expense.

In November 2005, the property was purchased and redeveloped with an 81,000 square foot Kroger store and retail facility. The investment of $8,750,000 has returned this 13 acre parcel to productive use and created over 100 jobs.

For more information, visit the City of Hamilton, Ohio

Archives:  2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

The City of Milwaukee acquired this tax-delinquent, 1.7-acre corner lot in 1989. The blighted parcel was a priority for redevelopment because of its location on a prominent intersection leading to Milwaukee's south side. Demolition and site assessment costs were over $170,000.

The assessment work revealed the parcel was heavily impacted with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), not unexpected in this former dry cleaning facility. The City was awarded a $200,000 U.S. EPA Cleanup Grant in 2004. The grant was utilized to conduct remediation at the site to prepare for redevelopment. Excavation was conducted for hot spot source removal, while hydrogen release compound (HRC) was utilized to dechlorinate and degrade residual contamination at the site.

Prior to remediation activities the City secured a developer who proposed a mixed use building with retail space and condominiums, recognizing that the location was well placed in an area in the midst of economic upgrading and new home sites. Remediation was conducted in January 2005 and the building construction commenced in March 2005. The completed building houses 21 condominium units and five retail spaces, with rear parking. The redevelopment increased the assessed value of the property by over $6,000,000.

For more information, visit the City of Milwaukee, Wis.

Archives:  2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

For other great stories please visit the National Brownfields Pilot Success Story Locator Map