Brownfields Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
High Point, North Carolina	Date of Announcement: September 1997 Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets the West Macedonia Revitalization Area, southeast of downtown High Point.

BACKGROUND

EPA selected the City of High Point as a Brownfields Pilot. As one of North Carolina's leading industrial centers, High Point maintains an extensive furniture manufacturing industry. The city established an industrial redevelopment program in the West Macedonia Revitalization Area, southeast of the central business district. The area is characterized by vacant, underused, and deteriorating industrial buildings, small clusters of blighted residential dwellings, and an abundance of undeveloped land.

Redevelopment within the industrial portion of the West Macedonia Revitalization Area has been limited. Opportunities for redevelopment have been hampered by both the availability of ample "greenfield" sites outside of the city and by known or suspected environmental contamination resulting from previous furniture and textile production. Experts from the University of North Carolina's Center for the Study of Social Issues will join the city in managing the Pilot and conducting economic market analysis.

OBJECTIVES

High Point's objectives were to revitalize the West Macedonia Revitalization Area and develop a model for addressing brownfield sites. The Pilot helped the city to assess brownfield sites, plan site cleanup, and foster opportunities for public/private partnerships.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

The Pilot has:

• Established a 40-member Brownfields Steering Committee made up of West Macedonia Revitalization Area residents and the larger community;

• Created the Macedonia Neighborhood Association to give residents and business people in the West Macedonia community the opportunity to play an active role in the revitalization effort;

• Developed a Community Needs Assessment which highlighted the basic areas of concern for the West Macedonia community for both residents and businesses operating in the area;

• Completed Phase I environmental assessments on 23 properties and Phase II assessments on 14 of the 23 sites within the target area. Based on the assessments, it was determined that 21 properties do not require cleanups. A more detailed Phase III report was prepared recommending cleanup methods for the remaining two sites;

• Completed a reuse study and identified several viable reuses for the targeted area, including flexible industrial/warehouse space, a small business incubator, and office space; and

• Hosted eight focus group meetings to gather community input on the redevelopment plan.

LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES

Experience with the High Point Pilot has been a catalyst for related activities, including the following:

• The Pilot leveraged a total of $1,007,000 in redevelopment/construction funding, including $173,000 from the county's portion of federal Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds, $100,000 from the city's general fund for capital improvement projects, and $734,000 from HUD's Community Development Block Grant entitlement for revitalization activities.

• The city received a $625,000 U.S. Department of Justice Weed and Seed grant for increasing awareness of safety programs and police involvement which includes the West Macedonia neighborhood.

• The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) received a Community Outreach Partnership Center grant of $399,000 from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development to fund community building activities in the target area.

• UNCG also received an award of $300,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a YouthBuild grant targeted to enroll dropout youths in Guilford Technical Community College's job training program to prepare them for the construction trades. A partnership with the Homebuilders Association will involve the apprentices working on homes in the Macedonia neighborhood.

• The City Council officially adopted the West Macedonia Redevelopment Plan on July 15, 1999. The plan recommends a variety of strategies to encourage commercial and industrial revitalization, promote home ownership and create additional open space and recreational opportunities for West Macedonial residents. The plan also identifies potential workforce needs once redevelopment takes place.

• The High Point Economic Development Corporation proposed a revised economic incentives policy for the city designed to promote economic investment in High Point's older industrial and commercial districts by reducing the minimum investment required to be eligible for incentives. The policy was approved by the City Council on November 1, 1999, and West Macedonia is one of the areas targeted under the new policy.

CONTACTS

Planning and Development Department,
City of High Point
(336) 883-3346

U.S. EPA - Region 4
(404) 562-8493

Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/

For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/