Grant to aid property cleanups

Jun. 9--JEFFERSON -- The Ashtabula County Port Authority has received $600,000 from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to continue its work redeveloping brownfields.

The Ashtabula County Port Authority will use the money "to conduct environmental investigations and prepare cleanup plans for properties at the Lake Erie waterfront and along Route 20 between Geneva and Conneaut," according to a release from the EPA.

A brownfield is a property for which the "expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant," according to the EPA. There are more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States, often locations like former gas stations or industrial plants.

Part of the reason the port authority received the grant is that it has shown to be successful redeveloping brownfields, said Executive Director Sean Ratican. The port authority previously received a brownfield grant in 2014 and that has led to private investments totaling almost $400,000 and the creation of 35 jobs.

"The first grant in 2014 was a remarkable achievement for our county that had just two identified brownfields at the time," Ratican said, adding that number has now grown to 35. "That grant allowed us to start a Brownfield Program at the port authority. Since then we have received over $2 million in total grant funds from state and federal partners. These funds will enable us to build upon the successful brownfield work that we have done in the past."

Previous grant funds were used for redevelopment projects including the new condos on Bridge Street in the Ashtabula Harbor, the Carlisle Building and former municipal building on Main Avenue in Ashtabula, the redevelopment of the former Andover Industries building in Andover now home to miscanthus grass processor Aloterra, a site in Pierpont that will be the location of a future Dollar General, as well as more than a dozen other properties throughout the county.

"We're leveraging public and private relationships. ... The port authority is sticking our nose to the grindstone," Ratican said, adding, "The reason we exist is for projects like this."

The funds were also used to address blight at more than 10 gas stations throughout the county, most of which the port authority has since acquired and are in various stages of redevelopment. Ratican called such sites "mini incubators" because they don't cost the port authority anything after the remediation and they can help a business locate there and "create a couple jobs."

Ratican said the grant was possible because the port authority has formed a coalition with the Ashtabula County Commissioners and the Ashtabula County Land Reutilization Corporation, also known as the land bank.

"It's special because it's the federal government reinvesting in our community," he said.

The land bank is the reason the port authority is able to acquire most of these properties and purchase them cheaply, Ratican said. Oftentimes, before it goes to the land bank, the property has "negative equity" in the form of back taxes and potential seven-figure cleanup costs that are "not worth what the property is worth."

"The collaborative side is what set us apart, different county agencies working together to achieve this," said Eddy Eckart, land bank executive director. "It's a good thing and it makes us more competitive."

County Commissioner J.P. Ducro credited Ratican as well as the work by Janice Switzer, community services and planning department director.

"I would like to share my appreciation for Sean, he's gotten several rounds of this funding and the number of brownfield areas we've been able to clean up and re-purpose is really a benefit to the county," Commissioner J.P. Ducro said.

He said with the new natural gas pipeline and the Plant C water line, there will be more opportunities for industry and the county now checks off more boxes.

"It's just an exciting opportunity just incrementally moving the ball forward," Ducro said.

The EPA announced $1.6 million in funding for four communities in the Cleveland area last week, the other three received about $300,000, while the port authority received double that at 600,000.

The funds are aimed at "under-served and economically disadvantaged communities," according to a release from the EPA.

"These grants fulfill several of President Trump's top priorities simultaneously: helping communities in need transform contaminated sites into community assets that not only create jobs and jumpstart economic development but also improve public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

The other three recipients were city of Barberton, Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation and Richland County Land Reutilization Corporation.

"Many communities are ready to move forward with redevelopment, they just lack the funding to get started," said EPA Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp. "Our Brownfields grants can jump-start the process and provide much-needed support to begin the assessment and cleanup process."

Ratican said there were no specific projects tied to the grant funding, but many in the works that could and will benefit from it.

"We are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these grant funds," he said.

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