Project Components

Brownfield redevelopment efforts are multiplied in effectiveness when the community and its leaders are involved. Our efforts focus on creating a new standard for public engagement.

This EPA Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant is a three year project. The project is based on a Work Plan derived by South Bend, Mishawaka, and St. Joseph County, and approved by the EPA.

Linkages between and among community members, neighborhoods, and redevelopment projects are key to area-wide brownfield efforts.

Site prioritization is key to success in Brownfield Assessment Grant efforts. To best determine priority sites, the community must first have the data upon which to base decisions. The project team is deploying comprehensive Brownfield Site Inventory efforts. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping of ``Big Data`` federal, state, local and hyperlocal data set analyses distinguish this project.

Phase I Environmental Assessments (ESAs) for individual sites will be completed by the consulting team. The Brownfield Inventory and Prioritization efforts and Phase I ESA Area Surveys guide the team determination of which sites are best positioned to receive individual assessment. Phase I ESAs act as ``environmental history reports`` for sites, and identify Recognized Environmental Conditions that may require further investigation.

Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) will be conducted on sites that are prioritized by the Technical Project Team and determined eligible by EPA. These reports will identify environmental conditions present on sites that are best positioned for redevelopment.

The Brownfield Coalition's project is managed by a Technical Project Team (TPT). This TPT is comprised of members from: City of South Bend, City of Mishawaka, St. Joseph County (IN), and the consulting team of Symbiont (lead), Heartland, and Lazarus. The general public is specifically critical partner to the project's success and will be engaged both in general to lead prioritization efforts, and later in focused project areas. The project serves all municipalities in St. Joseph County and seeks involvement of all citizens therein.

The Brownfield Coalition's effort is results driven. The project's Technical Project Team proposed anticipated results to the EPA. To achieve these results the team established goals and benchmarks upon which to measure progress, and report outcomes.

The ultimate goal of this brownfield assessment project is redevelopment. In a community of inherited environmental conditions from its legacy of past industrial development it is critical to assess conditions. Through strategic assessment efforts, the community can determine and manage liability with the limited resources available, and thus incubate private investment that will return long dormant sites to productivity and the property tax rolls.