| 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.
Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year
explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. EPA is funding more
than 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots 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 Award: March 1996
Amount: $200,000 |
Site Profile: The Pilot targets the 27-acre Thea
Foss Waterway located in the core of Tacoma’s Enterprise
Community. |
BACKGROUND
EPA selected the City of Tacoma for a Brownfields Pilot. Closing or
relocating of industrial and maritime activities along Tacoma’s downtown
Thea Foss Waterway has contributed to unemployment and poverty in the area.
Unemployment is more than 18%, and about 46% of the residents live below the
poverty level. The industrial and maritime activities have left a legacy of
contamination and liability that are inhibiting reuse and redevelopment along
the waterway while suburban sprawl expands. The City is specifically concerned
about the Waterway sites in the core of Tacoma’s Enterprise Community where
contamination could present an additional obstacle to economic revitalization.
OBJECTIVES
The Pilot is working to encourage economic growth and redevelopment in the
City’s downtown core by addressing environmental contamination and
liability issues head on. Redevelopment of the urban waterfront will promote
productive land-use, reduce air and water pollution associated with urban
sprawl, and expand job opportunities in locations accessible to low-income
populations. To satisfy these objectives, Tacoma intends to conduct
environmental site assessments, plan for site remediation, and identify
incentives for redevelopment.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
- Established the Foss Waterway Development Authority as a separate legal
entity to facilitate redevelopment of the Thea Foss Waterway while eliminating
contamination, providing public access and preventing future blight. By Council
resolutions, Tacoma authorized this entity with a seven member board comprised
of leaders from the financial, real estate development and resource management
industries; and
- Completed a draft of The Economic Analysis for Development of the Thea Foss
Waterway. The report provides a look at the effects of public brownfields
investments under different scenarios.
The Pilot is:
- Conducting an Economic and Market Analysis Study to determine the economic
impacts of proposed developments as part of the Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement, determining the most appropriate mix of “doable”
developments that will attract private investment;
- Conducting a Financing Strategy Plan to identify sources of public and
private capital for feasible uses identified in the Economic Analysis and make
recommendations on brownfields financing tools (e.g., a revolving loan fund to
provide low interest, flexible term loans for priority projects); and
- Conducting a Public/Private Partnership Strategies Plan to prioritize
projects which are essential and to analyze financing and community needs in
order to develop an effective public/private collaboration and promote
incentives.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the Tacoma Pilot has been a catalyst for related activities
including the following.
- Focusing brownfields efforts and resources on sites within the Empowerment
Zone and adjacent NPL site.
- Building on existing community involvement activities associated with the
adjacent NPL site.
CONTACTS:
William Pugh
Public Works Department
Tacoma, Washington
(206) 591-5525
Lori Cohen
U.S. EPA Region 10
(206) 553-6523
cohen.lori@epamail.epa.gov
Visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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