Lincoln's brownfields addressed
at council meeting    

[OCT. 15, 2004]  You knew we had brownstones, like the old Scully building, but maybe you didn't know we have brownfields too. What are brownfields? Well, nearly every community has or has had them at one time.

A brownfield is a property that has "actual or perceived environmental contamination." They typically occupy key locations in the community since many were formerly gas stations or industrial sites. The cost to clean these properties can be quite prohibitive for property owners to take on privately. Therefore these otherwise viable properties just sit vacant or underutilized. Lincoln has its share of these properties.

In the interest of economic development, Rob Orr from the Lincoln and Logan County Development Partnership presented information to the Lincoln City Council about how the community can get such properties back to fuller, more profitable use. Orr was joined by representatives Ryan LaDieu and Jason Minaiga of Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc., Downers Grove.

The state of Illinois has a program to help communities get these properties cleaned up and back to purposeful use. By applying for a Brownfield Grant, a municipality can receive 70 percent, or up to $240,000, payable toward services for cleanups. The city agrees to match 30 percent through monetary or in-kind services.

It is possible for a municipality to back a project with zero cash layout by using in-kind services. This is done by documenting and accounting all city services provided toward the project: engineering, zoning officer, attorney and other officials, personnel costs, as well as use of city equipment.

Two downtown properties have been identified to start this program. They are at 600 Pulaski St. and 725 Broadway St. The intention for the Pulaski Street property is to develop a new parking lot next to the Farm Bureau building. The parking would help with downtown parking issues.

The Sheer's property on Broadway (the northwest corner of Broadway and Hamilton, across the alley from City Hall) has been the object of rebuilding interests and was once considered an ideal new fire department location.

Other property owners have expressed concern for this assistance as well. Orr said it is believed it may be possible to clean up all sites in the city under this program.

A few additional facts

• Civil and Environmental Consultants provides grant-writing service at no fee if CEC is awarded the contract.
• The city can pay a $7,500 grant-writing fee if the city wins the grant but does not want to use CEC's services for the project.
• CEC uses local labor where possible during the project.
• CEC has completed site remediation projects throughout the state.
• CEC is EPA-knowledgeable and has working relationships with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
• A property owner can withdraw from a project at any given time, even after on-site work has begun, with no repercussions.

Not only is this an environmentally responsible action that enhances the quality of living in a community, but also the property owners then have a more functional and more marketable, higher valued property.

[Jan Youngquist]