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Brownfields Success Stories
Liability Protections Ensure a Good Night's Sleep for Marriott
In the north end of downtown Worcester, Massachusetts lies the site of a former steel foundry, owned by U.S. Steel until just after World War II. By 1960, U.S. Steel's manufacturing plant had been demolished, and the idle property was purchased by Parker Realty Corporation (PRC), who used the site as a parking lot for more than 30 years. In 1998, Marriott approached CMEDA-an organization established by the state in 1995 to oversee the area's brownfields revitalization efforts-with an interest in redeveloping the 2.4-acre PRC site into a new Courtyard hotel. While initially dissuaded by the discovery of residual lead contamination, Marriott's discussions with CMEDA and reassurances of liability protection for site purchasers convinced the company to proceed. As part of that protection, the title of the 2.4-acre parcel was transferred to CMEDA prior to cleanup, to end the chain of liability with the Authority. PRC spent more than $130,000 on assessment and cleanup of the parcel, and paid CMEDA $15,000 in administrative fees for the Authority's oversight during the four-month cleanup process. EPA's Brownfields Pilot contributed $31,800 in assessment funding, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provided an additional $8,000 for assessments. Marriott completed foundation work on the property in March of 1999, and CMEDA transferred the property's title-along with liability protection in the event that any additional contaminants were discovered-to the hotel chain that same month. Marriott's subsequent $15 million redevelopment project created 25 construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs; the new, 129-room hotel opened its doors in October 1999. Annual tax revenues from the hotel's operation are expected to exceed $50,000 per year. For more information on the CMEDA Brownfields Pilot, contact Lynne Jennings at EPA Region 1, (617) 918-1210.