Salem Pursues Grant Funding to Assist Property Owners with Site

Salem Pursues Grant Funding to Assist Property Owners with Site

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thurs., Jan. 2, 2014
CONTACT:
Nicole Miller, Public Information Manager
City of Salem Urban Development Department
Tel: 503-540-2415
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cityofsalem.net/UD
Salem Pursues Grant Funding to Assist Property Owners
with Site Use and Revitalization: Public Meeting Jan. 7
Salem, Ore. – The City of Salem plans to submit an application to the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting a grant of up to $400,000 for the reuse and
revitalization of private and publically owned properties city-wide. Prior to applying for EPA funding,
the City will be soliciting the involvement of the development community, community-based
organizations, and the general public and gauging interest in the funding.
A public meeting will be held on Jan. 7, 2014, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., in room #304 of Broadway
Commons at 1300 Broadway St. NE in Salem. The meeting will provide information on the site reuse
and revitalization program and solicit input into priority reuse and revitalization opportunities citywide. City staff would like to hear from those interested in utilizing program funds for private and
public projects, if grant funds are awarded.
A revitalization opportunity site or “brownfield” is defined broadly by the U.S. EPA as “abandoned,
idled or under-used property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by
the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” The EPA grant
supports five general types of activities – all of which are relevant to the City’s priority revitalization
initiatives:
• Conducting a community-wide inventory of potential sites;
• Identifying priority opportunity sites and conducting assessment activities;
• Conducting cleanup and reuse planning;
• Community outreach; and
• Planning for revitalization of priority areas or corridors.
The goal of the U.S. EPA program is to turn underutilized sites from community blight to community
benefit, restoring them to safe, viable properties that contribute to the economic well-being of the City.
If needed, the City will work with interested property owners to identify additional possible sources of
State or Federal funding for site environmental clean-up and re-use.
Cities across the United States have utilized U.S. EPA funding to assess, clean-up, and prepare for
redevelopment sites, including several Oregon cities such as Beaverton, Eugene-Springfield, and
Portland. With limited funding to support economic development, the City hopes to offer one more
“tool” to assist owners with site re-use and redevelopment.
City of Salem Urban Renewal Area (URA) funding has supported the redevelopment of several sites,
including by assessing and/or cleaning up environmental contamination. URA funding in these
revitalization opportunity sites has leveraged significant private investment and created new community
assets, including the Hollywood Station mixed use redevelopment, North Broadway redevelopment, and
creation of Riverfront Park. If EPA grant funds are awarded to Salem, they could be utilized to support
similar activities, public or private, large and small, city-wide.
The EPA application will be submitted on Jan. 22, 2014.
For more information, please contact Annie Gorski with questions at 503-540-2480 or
[email protected]. Si necesita ayuda para comprender esta información, por favor llame 503588-6178.
City of Salem Non Discrimination - SRC 97
It is the City of Salem’s policy to assure that no person shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race,
religion, color, sex, marital status, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, sexual
orientation, gender identity and source of income, as provided by Salem Revised Code Chapter 97. The City of
Salem also fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and related statutes and regulations, in all
programs and activities.
Es la política de la Ciudad de Salem asegurar que ninguna persona estará discriminada por motivos de raza,
religión, color,sexo, estado civil, situación familiar, origen nacional, edad, discapacidad mental o física,
orientación sexual, identidad de género ni fuente de ingresos, de acuerdo con el Capítulo 97 del Código Revisado
de Salem. La Ciudad de Salem también cumple plenamente con el Título VI del Acta de Derechos Civiles de
1964, y los estatutos y reglamentos relacionados, en todos los programas y actividades.
The City of Salem’s Urban Development Department is committed to enhancing community prosperity through an
array of programs in its four major service areas: Real Property Services, Housing and Social Services,
Economic Development and Downtown Revitalization. The Urban Development Department: manages the City’s
urban renewal areas (URA) and redevelopment projects within the URAs; administers federally funded block
grant and housing programs; provides loans and grants to eligible businesses, homeowners, and renters; and
manages leases, acquires, and sells properties for the City.
###