Environmental Progress - Winter 2000

Five Cities Awarded Grants For Brownfields Redevelopment

Recipients announced during fall Brownfields Conference

Justice, Palatine, Normal, Lemont and Bartlett are the latest recipients of Illinois Brownfields Redevelopment Grants. The grants are awarded to evaluate potential contamination and prepare clean up plans to bring abandoned or underused industrial and commercials properties back into productive use.

Congressman Jerry Weller, a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, presented the grants during the All Cities Brownfields Conference at Starved Rock State Park on November 29, 2000. Said Weller, "Brownfields clean-up and redevelopment provides an environmentally responsible approach to creating new jobs and economic growth."

The event was the fifth Illinois All Cities Brownfields Conference held in northern Illinois and the first time the conference was located at Starved Rock Lodge. Illinois EPA Director Tom Skinner noted that 26 Illinois communities have been awarded grants under the program.

The event was sponsored by the Illinois EPA, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Illinois Municipal League. Conference participants included mayors and other municipal officials, developers, attorneys and environmental professionals.

Up to $120,000 is available to each municipality, providing assistance to perform environmental assessments at brownfields sites. The grants may be used to identify, investigate and characterize sites, determine clean-up objectives and develop remedial action plans.

The new grant recipients and their grant amounts are:

Bartlett: $88,191 - The village will use grant dollars to investigate several adjoining parcels of property as part of the redevelopment of Bartlett's central business district. Ultimately, Bartlett envisions a mixed-use development, comprised of retail, professional offices, residential, commercial and cultural/recreational facilities.

Justice: $25,891 - The village will perform Phase I and Phase II investigation activities using the grant dollars at a long-abandoned gas station site located along the main thoroughfare through town. Once environmental issues have been addressed, the village plans to redevelop the site into a revenue-producing commercial and/or retail site.

Lemont: $114,197 - Lemont has been working toward redeveloping an abandoned heavy industrial site. Using grant funds, the village plans to address environmental issues as the first step in creating a light manufacturing district, while preserving the historical character of Lemont.

Normal: $31,438 - Normal will use grant funds to investigate a former dry cleaner site, located in the heart of Normal's central business district, which is hindering economic development. Cleanup and redevelopment of this abandoned site will jump-start projected growth in this area.

Palatine: $48,549 - The village of Palatine will perform Phase I and Phase II investigation activities at two properties formerly used for dry cleaning. The sites are located in downtown Palatine, close to shopping, restaurants and the Metra commuter train station. Transforming these currently under-utilized sites into residential and retail sites will provide the village with tax revenues and act as a catalyst for further development.

Additional information, including Brownfields Grant application forms, are available on the Internet in the IEPA's Bureau of Land Brownfields section.