Brownfields Cleanup Revolving
Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet

Jacksonville, FL

EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.

PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement: May 25, 1999 Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area: 18-square mile section of Jacksonville's state-desig-nated Enterprise Zone

BACKGROUND

Jacksonville's inner-city, like many inner-cities, contains sections marked by urban blight, decaying neighborhoods mixed among abandoned industrial brownfields sites. While Jacksonville has maintained its industrial character, it has shifted to become more of a transportation, manufacturing, and financial hub. This shift, coupled with the development of greenfields in the City's south and west sides, has resulted in the closure of many industrial operations. It has also pulled jobs from the inner-city. To combat this trend, Jacksonville's BCRLF pilot will target 18 square miles of Jacksonville's state-designated Enterprise Zone. This section of the City has numerous brownfields and a pressing need for economic development assistance. The population of this area has a poverty rate ranging from 20 to 77 percent. The area contains 95 known and reported non-petroleum contaminated sites.

BCRLF OBJECTIVES

The Jacksonville BCRLF pilot will facilitate brownfields cleanup and redevelopment by providing the City with another tool to attract developers or businesses to the inner-city. The pilot anticipates that demonstrated success of this loan fund will encourage further capitalization from local, state, and federal sources. Jacksonville plans, if additional capitalization is received, to expand the geographic scope of the loan program throughout the City and County. The pilot's potential borrowers include small business owners and developers.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

The City of Jacksonville will serve as the lead agency. It is currently exploring several options for site manager. The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission will serve as fund manager. The average loan size is expected to be $37,500 and the City expects to make 10 to 12 loans during the three-year loan commitment phase. Most loans will be made to small business owners and developers. Borrowers will be required to carry environmental insurance.

LEVERAGING

Potential leveraging sources include private foundations, commercial banks, city funding, special appropriations through the Florida legislature, and a variety of grant opportunities. The City will provide in-kind services in the form of staff time and resources.

Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding also apply to BCRLF funds.

CONTACTS

Brownfields Redevelopment Program
(904) 630-2333

Region 4 Brownfields Coordinator
(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/

United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)

EPA 500-F-99-076
May 1999

Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)

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Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet