The Minneapolis Community Development Agency is seeking supplemental funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to continue a brownfields assessment program that demonstrates successful community involvement. Please click on the link or scroll down to read the news release. http://www.mcda.org/whats_new/Newsreleases/EPA_application.htm
January 25, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elizabeth Haugen MCDA Communications (612) 673-5121 TTY: (612) 673-5154 MCDA APPLIES FOR SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANT Brownfields pilot project demonstrates successful community involvement (MINNEAPOLIS) - The Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA) has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for supplemental funding to continue Minneapolis' successful brownfields pilot program, which originated in 1999 and includes sites in the Empowerment Zone. A brownfield is a property that has real or perceived contamination, but has potential for redevelopment or reuse. Through this program, the MCDA has so far completed environmental assessments on four Hennepin County tax-forfeited "orphaned" sites. "Orphan" designation means the property is vacant. Two of the four sites will be developed into affordable housing; the third site has been approved for neighborhood greenspace, and the fourth site is in the planning stage for a mixed-use development. "Thanks to cooperation from the national to the neighborhood level," says Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, "these misfit sites that likely would have remained dormant indefinitely are being reworked to create more affordable housing, jobs and a community garden." The EPA's pilot program provides the opportunity to conduct environmental assessments on orphan sites, which previously had been given low priority due to size, location, level of perceived pollution and/or unusual circumstances. In addition to seeking EPA assessment funds, the MCDA (as the redevelopment arm of the City of Minneapolis) has partnered with Hennepin County in coordinating applications for state and regional grant sources for contamination cleanup. Affected neighborhoods are notified through their respective citizen participation groups and brought into brownfields projects early on for review and comment and to take part in redevelopment planning. The EPA is now reviewing the grant application for supplemental funding in 2002. If successful, the City of Minneapolis would receive $150,000 to continue and expand existing brownfields assessment efforts and $50,000 to assess brownfields for greenspace purposes. For more information about the brownfields pilot or other brownfields programs, please contact Senior Project Coordinator Patrick Connoy at (612) 673-5193 or Project Coordinator Denise Meinstad at (612) 673-5022. ### The Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA) is the housing and economic development arm of the City of Minneapolis. The MCDA buys and sells land, assists small businesses, promotes home ownership, and provides financing and other resources for a wide range of business and residential property developments. Access to MCDA programs for Minneapolis residents who speak limited English is available through Minneapolis Multicultural Services. Interpretation services are currently provided in Somali and Spanish. Somali liaison: Deka Yusuf (612) 673-3500 Spanish liaison: Susan Fuentes, (612) 673-2700 For more information about the MCDA, call the Minneapolis Community Development Agency at (612) 673-MCDA (612-673-6232) or visit us on the Web at www.mcda.org. Elizabeth Haugen, Communications Minneapolis Community Development Agency 105 5th Ave. S., Suite 200 Minneapolis MN 55401-2534 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (612) 673-5121 _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
