The City of Stockton is considering applying for funding under the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Grant Program. The preparation and submittal of applications for up to $600,000 in environmental cleanup funding and $200,000 in environmental assessment funding under the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Grant Program is scheduled to go before the Stockton Redevelopment Agency/City Council for approval on September 25.
To date, the Agency has received $400,000 in Brownfields Grants. These grants have been used to conduct environmental testing and develop cleanup plans an associated cost estimates to address lightly to moderately contaminated industrial properties known as "Brownfields" in the North and South Shore of the Stockton Waterfront area.
EPA funding and technical assistance has helped, and continues to help, the City realize its vision for redevelopment and revitalizing the Stockton Waterfront and nearby Downtown Area. The City was awarded a $650,000 grant from EPA in 1998 to improve the water quality in the Stockton Channel. This program is directly related to the redevelopment of the waterfront Brownfields properties and was one of the original goals of the Agency's Brownfields Pilot Program. Visit Stockton's Brownfields for a description of each area.
Grand opening ceremonies took place on June 29, 2001 for Weber Block, a former Brownfields site where environmental testing was conducted using grant program funding. This former parking lot was transformed into Dean DeCarli Square, a $6 million open space water plaza, which has served as a gathering place for residents and visitors to Downtown Stockton and won the EPA Phonenix Award in 2002. In 2004, DeCarli Square also won the California Redevelopment Association Award of Excellence. Weber Block also served as a catalyst project for connecting the Waterfront Area with other downtown development projects, including the renovation of the historic Hotel Stockton. In addition, EPA funding was used to conduct environmental work at two properties adjacent the Hotel Stockton where the construction of the 16-screen Cineplex with related retail and restaurant uses was completed in 2003 and named the Janet Leigh Plaza the summer of 2006.
With the help of the EPA Grant Program, Downtown Stockton revitalization and redevelopment efforts have intensified since the Grant Program and Stockton Brownfields Program was initiated in May 1996. Over $100 million in Downtown projects have been completed, are currently under construction, or are planned to be built within the next few years.
The total funding expected to be available under the EPA competitive grant process in approximately $72 million. The EPA anticipates awarding roughly 200 cooperative grant agreements.
The Agency will use the cleanup funding, if awarded, to supplement the remediation of the Southpointe property (see map below). The Agency will use teh assessment funding, if awarded, to investigate Site 2b and, based on that investigation, develop a plan for cleanup of that site.
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