Council awards nearly $4 million in brownfield cleanup funds

Projects in Minneapolis, New Brighton, Roseville and St. Paul are awarded funding

Contact: Bonnie Kollodge
651.602.1357

ST. PAUL—June 30, 2008- Phase One of the Schmidt Brewery redevelopment in St. Paul, a hotel with office and retail space in Roseville, and a hotel and housing in New Brighton are among the projects awarded brownfield clean up funding by the Metropolitan Council. The Council, on Wed., June 25, approved nearly $4 million for nine redevelopment projects in Minneapolis, New Brighton, Roseville and St. Paul.

"These are Livable Communities funds that help clean up pollutants so properties can be redeveloped and put into more productive use,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “The program is a great investment tool and leverages many, many additional public and private dollars. It creates opportunities for development and redevelopment, job growth and improved livability in communities throughout the Twin Cities area.”

The Council awards cleanup funds twice a year. This funding round will help clean up 71 acres, create nearly 1,700 new jobs, increase the net tax base by nearly $3 million and encourage $277 million in private investment.

To be eligible and compete for funding, metro-area cities must participate in the Livable Communities program. More than 100 metro-area communities participate in the program, which provides funding for: 1) affordable housing, 2) development that promotes mixed-use and connected land use linking housing, jobs and services, and 3) brownfield or polluted site cleanup.

Projects awarded funding include:

Broadway Plaza, Minneapolis—$224,400 to help with environmental investigation, asbestos abatement, off-site disposal of contaminated soil and soil vapor mitigation on 2.5 acres that had previously been the site of a gas station and auto service business. The location at West Broadway and Aldrich will be home to a fitness center, retail and office space, structured parking and a public outdoor plaza.

Dunwoody Flats, Minneapolis--$161,600 to help pay the costs of asbestos and lead-based paint abatement on a four-story building that had been used as a hospital facility. The site, at 110 East 18th Street, will be developed into 125 units of rental housing for working families and individuals.

Eastern Northwest Quadrant, New Brighton--$1.4 million for environmental investigation, soil remediation, soil vapor mitigation, well abandonment and ground water monitoring on a 41-acre site off Old Highway 8 NW, which had been used previously as an unpermitted dump. The area will be redeveloped into a 200-room hotel, office space, commercial space, rental housing and retail space.

Cent Ventures, Roseville--$189,000 to help with asbestos abatement and soil vapor mitigation at 2700 and 2750 Cleveland Avenue N. The eight-acre site formerly housed a commercial trucking terminal. The area will be redeveloped into a 123-unit, extended stay hotel with office and retail space.

Carleton Lofts Phase II, St. Paul--$114,200 to help with soil remediation, soil vapor mitigation and ground water treatment on nearly two acres on University Avenue, formerly occupied by a warehouse and two gas stations and before that, used as a railroad loading area. The site will be used for residential development, including 175 units of rental homes and parking.

Commerce Building Phase II, St. Paul--$210,200 to help with asbestos abatement at an office building being renovated into affordable rental housing on Fourth Street E. Some existing commercial space on the first floor of the historic building will be retained.

Renaissance Box, St. Paul--$192,500 to help pay the costs of asbestos and lead-based paint abatement at 509 Sibley Street. The seven-story building on the site was originally used as a shoe factory and later a warehouse and commercial retail space. The building will be renovated into 67 units of affordable rental housing.

Schmidt Brewery Phase I, St. Paul--$887,100 to help with asbestos and lead-based paint abatement, soil remediation and soil vapor mitigation on nearly four acres on the site of the Schmidt Brewery. Redevelopment plans call for renovation of the historic bottle house building with 96 units of affordable rental housing, renovation of the existing office complex into retail and commercial space and the construction of 13 ownership townhomes on the mostly vacant east side of the site.

Arlington Jackson West, St. Paul--$571,000 to help with environmental investigation, soil remediation and soil vapor mitigation on a 10-acre site formerly used in conjunction with an asphalt plant, unpermitted dump and more recently for heavy equipment storage. The site will be used for commercial-industrial development.

The Council received 12 applications for brownfield cleanup awards this funding round, totaling nearly $5 million.

Since the Livable Communities program became law in 1995, the Council has made 250 brownfield clean up grant awards to 35 communities totaling nearly $75 million. The awards are helping to leverage another $4 billion in private investment, create more than 32,000 new jobs, increase the net tax base by more than $77 million and clean up more than 1,700 acres of contaminated properties.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. It runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, manages regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.

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