As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields program, Macon-Bibb County will hold a public forum on Tuesday, January 26 at 2:00 p.m. in Commission Chambers at Government Center (700 Poplar Street).
“In order to continue the revitalization of our community and attract new development and businesses, we need to determine the sites that are ready or can be made ready,” says Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert.
At this forum, representatives from Macon-Bibb and Resolute, the company hired to conduct the initial assessment, will discuss project goals and ask about potential Brownfield sites and the issues and sites most important to the community. The public – especially municipal planners, engineers, lenders, developers, elected officials, and partner agencies – is encouraged to attend this forum to discuss the future redevelopment and revitalization of the urban core.
In June 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney recognized Macon-Bibb County as the recipient of Brownfields grant investments totaling $400,000 ($200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances and $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum). Of the 94 applications received for this funding from the EPA Southeast region, 22 were awarded, and Macon-Bibb County was the only grant recipient in Georgia.
The primary purpose of this project is to complete Phase I and II environmental assessments throughout the study target area in downtown Macon-Bibb County in order to gather the environmental data necessary to either a.) establish that given sites do not require remediation, or b.) determine the extent and degree of impact so that appropriate use-based corrective action plans may be developed. With this information the County and/or the development community may understand the environmental and financial liabilities associated with a given property. In keeping with the requirements of the EPA Brownfield Program, the County also acknowledges that a portion of the funding will be used for community outreach and cleanup planning.
By quantifying the environmental conditions in this area of Macon-Bibb County, the hope is to identify assemblages or tracts of land which can be certified as “shovel-ready” for industrial or mixed-use redevelopment. The remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites in this area would allow for the development of new, quality manufacturing jobs within walking distance of downtown.
This project is part of Macon-Bibb County’s Economic and Community Development Focus Area in its Forward Together Strategic Plan. The local Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) team helped identify this program as a potential resource for Macon-Bibb County, and the Middle Georgia Regional Commission helped write the grant.
About the EPA’s Brownfields Program
The grants, funded by EPA’s Brownfields program, help recipients conduct assessments on potential Brownfields properties. The investments continue to provide communities with necessary funding to help clean up America’s land, boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health.
EPA’s Brownfields grants provide resources early which is critical for the success of communities’ ability to leverage additional partnerships and resources. The community leaders – represented by local governments, states, tribes, quasi-governmental organizations, and non-profit entities have demonstrated strong partnerships and plan to leverage the EPA grants with other public-private investments. They use an inclusive process to help spur the redevelopment of vacant, former manufacturing and commercial sites for broader revitalization in their downtowns. This results in a transformed economy and environment while addressing poverty and economic distress.
Since the inception of the EPA’s Brownfields Program in 1995, cumulative brownfield program investments have leveraged more than $22 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per EPA brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in approximately 105,942 jobs nationwide. EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse Brownfields sites.
About SC2 in Macon-Bibb County
On Thursday, January 16, 2014, the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the expansion of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative to seven additional cities, including Macon-Bibb County.
As a participant, a federal inter-agency expert team is working with Macon-Bibb County, community organizations, local businesses, and philanthropic foundations to advance our vision for economic growth and development. The primary goal is to help Macon-Bibb more effectively invest existing resources, provide advice, and expertise in support of local priorities, better align federal programs and investments, and facilitate new partnerships and peer learning opportunities wherever possible.
President Obama established SC2 in 2011as an innovative and flexible program designed to strengthen local capacity, coordinate federal investments, and spark growth in economically distressed communities. Federal inter-agency expert teams have been deployed to work alongside city leadership, community organizations, local businesses and philanthropic foundations to support the cities’ visions for economic growth and development. The primary goal is to help cities more effectively invest existing resources, provide advice and expertise in support of local priorities, better align federal programs and investments, and facilitate new partnerships and peer learning opportunities wherever possible.
The SC2 Initiative was developed through engagement with mayors, Members of Congress, foundations, nonprofits and other community partners who are committed to addressing the challenges facing local governments as they work to create economic opportunity for all residents. For more information about the SC2 Teams involvement and goals for the new locations, click here. For more information about accomplishments of the initiative in the original pilot locations and policy insights that have surfaced as a result, please review the first SC2 Annual Report.