Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
Raleigh, NC	Date of Announcement: May 2000 Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets the 160-acre Garner Road Industrial Area in southeast Raleigh.

BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the City of Raleigh for a Brownfields Pilot. Raleigh (population 276,030) is the capital of North Carolina and is part of the state's "Triangle," referring to the geographic triangle made by Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Although the economy is primarily good in the Triangle, there are parts of Raleigh that are less prosperous. The Garner Road Industrial Area (population 4,657) has an unemployment rate of 8.25 percent with a median household income of $15,700, compared to $32,450 for all of Raleigh.

The 160-acre Garner Road Industrial Area is only blocks away from downtown Raleigh, and supports such uses as warehouses, body shops, metal and steel operations, and oil and chemical distribution facilities, all adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The project area is located in southeast Raleigh and suffers from the stigma of real and perceived environmental contamination. Over the past decade, news of a contaminated groundwater plume in the area has left many properties vacant or in disrepair, and the prospect of attracting subsequent development difficult. The proliferation of underused and vacant properties has brought about loitering, littering, dumping, and criminal activity, and has created a negative image of this area of Raleigh—which serves as a southern gateway into the city—and four of its surrounding neighborhoods. Neighborhood residents have asked the city to support them in transforming this area back to an economic and aesthetic asset for the city.

OBJECTIVES

Currently, Raleigh is investing in several redevelopment projects in the area. The city is planning the restoration of eight acres of wetlands and the construction of an adjacent greenway (i.e., a biking and hiking trail), and has also begun construction of $3.5 million in street improvements along Garner Road. These infrastructure improvements will provide support to new businesses along the Garner Road corridor. The Pilot will supplement these activities by targeting privately owned properties in the Garner Road Area for environmental assessment and providing assistance in developing cleanup and redevelopment plans.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Identifying brownfields properties in the target area with redevelopment potential;
• Performing Phase I and Phase II assessments on selected sites;
• Soliciting community input through outreach activities, meetings, and educational opportunities;
• Preparing redevelopment plans for the project area;
• Identifying opportunities for neighborhood aesthetic/educational/safety improvements; and
• Assisting with site cleanup planning.

The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.

CONTACTS

City of Raleigh
Planning Department
(919) 890-3664

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 4
(404) 562-8661

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/