TARCOG appreciates Alabama House of Representatives Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter for highlighting a Fort Payne project that will impact six vacant warehouses over two blocks and three acres along Gault Avenue.
The site is the focus of an environmental evaluation to prepare the section of Gault Avenue for redevelopment.
Ledbetter, who was guest speaker at TARCOG’s June Board Meeting and Picnic, highlighted the $1.5 million grant on Tuesday, June 24, that includes the DeKalb County project, as well as projects in Limestone and Madison counties.
The $1.5 million Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Assessment Grant will be the starting point for the transformation of the selected sites. In the past, the connected warehouses on Gault Avenue in Fort Payne held cotton or machining operations. For years, they have remained vacant and because of potential environmental contamination, the site hasn’t been attractive to developers.
TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gillaim Jordan said the whole purpose of this type of brownfield grant is to take unproductive properties due to real or perceived contamination and make them usable again. This process is the first step toward making these sites attractive to developers again.
Other projects covered by the grant includes a site for the Singing River Trail in the Town of Gurley and another one in the City of Athens. The grant includes the three cities as coalition partners in this funding opportunity with TARCOG, who helped secure the funding for these important projects.
The $1.5 million will cover 32 – Phase One Environmental Assessments analyzing the sites through visual inspections and historical inspections to determine if any possible contamination issues that warrant further investigation.
There will be 25 – Phase Two Environmental Assessments to further investigate with more in-depth sampling and testing of contaminants to determine extent of contamination.
As a result of these assessments, it is anticipated there will be 15 Site Cleanup Plans. Additionally, community meetings will be held to get input from residents about their visions for the sites before three Community Revitalization Plans are developed that include the visions for plans for each community.
In Fort Payne, it is the Gault Avenue Corridor project. In Gurley, it will be the Walker Street Corridor, and in Athens, the Easy Street Corridor.
A TARCOG board meeting and annual picnic were held at 11 a.m. Each year, TARCOG rotates its June board meetings between its region counties of DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall. Staff is also invited to this board meeting, which provides an opportunity for board members and staff to connect.
We appreciate all of the elected officials from DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties who turned out for the meeting.
From left, TARCOG’s Economic Development and Planning Director Lee Terry, Pinchin Environmental and Engineering Consultant John Hargraves, TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gilliam Jordan, Alabama House of Representatives Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, Fort Payne Mayor Brian Baine, Fort Payne City Council President Pro Team Lynn Brewer and Fort Payne City Council President, Walter Watson.