BCRLF Pilot Project Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
Boston, Massachusetts	Date of Loan: December 2001 Amount: $475,000
Loan Profile: The City of Boston is making a $475,000 loan to the Boston Redevelopment Agency for the cleanup of Parcel 8 in Boston's South End.

BACKGROUND

EPA awarded Boston, Massachusetts, a Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) Pilot in August 1997. Under this program, EPA has provided Boston with $500,000 to capitalize its revolving loan fund. Using the BCRLF Pilot funds, the city will provide loans to public and private parties for the purpose of cleaning up brownfields sites. Boston's first loan is an intragovernmental loan from one city agency to another.

As a large urban city with an industrial history, Boston is known as the economic hub of New England. However, the city also has its fair share of unemployment, poverty, abandoned land, and environmental problems. As industries have been phased out of the city and moved to the suburban greenfields, parts of Boston have been left littered with abandoned and vacant properties. These former industrial properties are often not redeveloped due to fears of real or perceived environmental contamination. This BCRLF Loan represents a milestone in Boston's efforts to redevelop brownfields.

In August 1995, EPA awarded to Boston a Brownfields Demonstration Assessment Pilot, and it received supplemental assessment funding support in 2000.

STRUCTURE OF THE BCRLF PROGRAM

The City of Boston's Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) is the Lead Agency for the BCRLF. The Boston Local Development Corporation (BLDC) serves as the Fund Manager for the Pilot. A Massachusetts Licensed Site Professional (LSP) employed by the City's Department of Neighborhood Development is the Pilot's site manager.

BCRLF BORROWER

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), the city's planning and economic development agency, is the BCRLF borrower for this project. The loan will be used to support the cleanup and redevelopment of a site known as Parcel 8, which is located in Boston's South End. The total cleanup is estimated to cost $2.8 million and will be managed and overseen by a developer that has been designated by the city and the BRA. The developer is contributing $1.8 million towards the cleanup, with the BRA contributing the remaining $1 million. Of the BRA's $1 million match, $475,000 will be provided by a BCRLF loan. The proposed loan terms are 5 years at zero percent interest.

BCRLF CLEANUP SITE

The 50,000 square-foot Parcel 8 property has had a variety of past uses including automotive repair and filling stations, an Odd Fellows Hall, and a hotel which was destroyed by fire in the 1960s. In addition, the site is underlain by urban fill. An engineering evaluation/cost analysis (EE/CA) identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), mercury, and lead at levels exceeding state standards. In addition, a localized pocket of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) (2.5 inches of product in one monitoring well) was found.

Construction of a proposed garage will require excavation to depths of approximately 30 feet below grade. A detailed soil precharacterization was completed, and the estimated quantity of contaminated soil subject to excavation and disposal is approximately 65,000 cubic yards. Total soil excavation and disposal costs are estimated at $2.8 million.

PROPOSED SITE REUSE PLAN

The property is slated for a 253,120 square-foot mixed use redevelopment. The mixed-use building will include 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, new theater and support space for the adjacent Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) facility, 100 residential condominiums on the upper floors, and a below-grade parking garage with capacity for 350 cars. The construction will require excavation to 30 feet below the existing grade. Cleanup and construction are slated to begin in Spring 2002.

CONTACTS

Senior Project Manager
Boston Redevelopment Authority
(617) 918-4307

EPA Region 1 Project Officer
(617) 918-1394

Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields

For additional information, contact the RCRA/Superfund Hotline at:
(800) 424-9346 or visit the EPA Brownfields website at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields.