What's New in Superfund Redevelopment

Site-Specific News

• New In-Depth Reuse Case Study for Former Manufacturing Facility in Wisconsin Highlights Cleanup and Mixed-Use Redevelopment on the Shores of Lake Michigan

  Supported by partnerships with the EPA, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the site’s potentially responsible parties, the city of Oak Creek has guided redevelopment efforts for this former chemical manufacturing facility. Now part of the Lake Vista redevelopment project that extends along the shores of Lake Michigan, the area includes Lakeshore Commons, 35 acres of homes, apartments and townhouses, as well as Lake Vista Park, a bluff-top viewing area, and a path linking the area with hiking trails at Milwaukee County’s Bender Park. This in-depth reuse case study explores cleanup and reuse efforts at the former Boerke site, highlighting local government leadership, engagement of local stakeholders, and coordination of remedy and reuse considerations. It provides information for people interested in public-private partnerships, comprehensive cleanup approaches and local efforts to facilitate outreach to support reuse at Superfund sites and other contaminated lands.

• Alicia Lehrer, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council Executive Director, attended the Land Trust Alliance Rally 2024: The National Land Conservation Conference, Providence, Rhode Island (U.S. EPA Region 1) and explains how the EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program supported the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council through reuse planning and visioning at the Centredale Manor Restoration Project Superfund site in Region 1.
  

• Beneficial Effects Economic Case Study: Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot

  Cleanup at the Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot (FNOD) Superfund site in Suffolk, Virginia has required complex efforts and coordination by the EPA, federal agencies and local government. Throughout the process, EPA has facilitated community efforts advocating for equitable and protective redevelopment. While some cleanup efforts are ongoing, FNOD includes more than 100 different landowners supporting a wide range of new uses and forward-thinking businesses. Key site uses include the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Research Center, the Ashely Capital Bridgeway Business Center, the Tidewater Community College Center for Workforce Solutions, the Lockheed Martin Center for Innovation, new residential uses and the award-winning RoadOne IntermodaLogistics facility. Looking forward, additional cleanup projects will open the door for expanded business and community opportunities.

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  On December 7, 2023, EPA Region 4 presented an “Excellence in Site Reuse” Award to Cone Mills Acquisition Group in recognition of the successful cleanup and reuse of the U.S. Finishing/Cone Mills Superfund Site in Greenville, South Carolina. About 30 people attended the event, including Caroline Freeman, Superfund and Emergency Management Division Director for EPA Region 4,  representatives from the state, city of Greenville and developer, and other EPA representatives. A textile mill operated at the site from 1903 until 2003 when a fire destroyed the main plant. Redevelopment will take place on a total of 240 acres and will include a mixed-use neighborhood of townhouses, apartments, offices, stores and restaurants, bringing much-needed housing and community amenities to the Greenville area. There will also be 55 acres of open space and 10 miles of recreation trails that will connect to the 22-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail.
  EPA recognizes U.S. Finishing/ Cone Mills Superfund Site for Excellence in Site Reuse Award
  Multibillion dollar revitalization project set to begin in Greenville Co.

• On October 30, 2023, EPA Region 4 presented an “Excellence in Site Reuse” Award to Highland Resources, Incorporated, to recognize their work promoting redevelopment and community revitalization through site cleanup and reuse. Highland Resources has cleaned up 140 acres of the Former Koppers Co., Inc. Superfund site in Charleston, South Carolina, and plans to develop 80 acres into the mixed-use Magnolia Development and the remaining property will remain marsh and green space. About 60 people attended the event, including Rick Kessler, Senior Advisor for Implementation, EPA OLEM; Caroline Freeman, Superfund and Emergency Management Division Director, EPA Region 4; Carol Kemker, Acting Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA Region 4; as well as Mayor John Tecklenburg, City of Charleston, and other representatives from EPA, the state and the developer.
  Magnolia development continues on 140 acres in neck of Charleston Peninsula
• Remediation and redevelopment at the Cascade Park Gasification Plant site in Tallahassee, Florida, paved the way for a park, amphitheater, historical memorials, and numerous commercial businesses, creating a downtown destination for tourists and locals.
  Reuse and the Benefit to Community: A Beneficial Effects Economic Case Study for the Cascade Park Gasification Plant (PDF)