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Redevelopment of 50 Tufts Street Adaptive Reuse Strategies in Somerville

Redevelopment of 50 Tufts Street Adaptive Reuse Strategies in Somerville. William Cone Bonnie Hobbs Ilana Liebert Jan Schultheiss Leonard Zwack. “How do you neutralize the fears of brownfields? with facts and transparency.” William Penn.

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Redevelopment of 50 Tufts Street Adaptive Reuse Strategies in Somerville

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  1. Redevelopment of50 Tufts Street Adaptive Reuse Strategies in Somerville William Cone Bonnie Hobbs Ilana Liebert Jan Schultheiss Leonard Zwack

  2. “How do you neutralize the fears of brownfields? with facts and transparency.” William Penn

  3. “Set a very clear framework on the best, most grounded assumption you have.” Chris Reed Flexibility Transparency Leadership Collaboration Time

  4. “People’s perception of contamination is stronger than their understanding of science.” Dr. Kurt Frantzen

  5. The 50 Tufts Site

  6. Site Timeline • 1940 – Building is constructed • 1950 – Laundry supply business opens • 1987 – Building is sold to John Danais Co • 2002 – John Danais Co files for bankruptcy • 2002-3 – Prospective purchaser hires Sanborn Head & Co to conduct environmental review of the site

  7. Contamination History • 8 monitoring wells installed in 2002 • Results indicated substantial levels of PCE • In soil: PCE concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 160 mg/kg • In groundwater: PCE concentrations ranged from 2 to 52 mg/L

  8. - Monitoring Well Locations and PCE Concentrations in Neighboring Homes

  9. Health Effects of PCE • PCE is widely used in the dry cleaning industry • Probable carcinogen according to IARC and EPA • Can cause irritation, headache, dizziness, light-headedness, vomiting, nausea, unconsciousness, and kidney dysfunction

  10. Remediation Strategy • Based on conversations with an LSP, bioremediation and phytoremediation not feasible • Pump and Treat is a more realistic option to remediate groundwater • Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) can be used to remove the soil gases

  11. Pump and Treat Source: US EPA (http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/graphics/cadnapl.htm)

  12. Air Stripping Column Source: Envirotools (http://www.envirotools.org/factsheets/Remediation/airstripping.shtml)

  13. Soil Vapor Extraction Source: Remediation Technologies Screening Matrix and Reference Guide, Version 4 (http://www.frtr.gov/matrix2/section4/4-7.html)

  14. Cost Considerations and Length of Treatment • Based on other dry cleaning sites utilizing Pump and Treat and SVE, annual remediation costs can approach $300,000 • Length of treatment is very site-specific, but Sanborn has estimated that the site will still be undergoing remediation in 20 years

  15. Environmental Conclusions • Contamination is serious but can be addressed • Long-term remediation presents a potential economic and social barrier • An opportunity to turn something that is currently a negative into a positive

  16. Proposed Redevelopment Schemes

  17. Multimodal Transit Hub • Benefits • Create an air rights “bridge” across rail lines to join neighborhoods and create new identity for Tufts Street • Develop infrastructure for new T Stop • Expand and reorganize mixed-uses • Include streetscape improvements, civic space and green space • Use grade relationships to advantage to connect pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular, rail • Barriers • Requires complete MBTA involvement • Represents significant expense • Design challenge to span RR and sensitively relate to abutting residential neighborhoods • Incomplete property acquisition will limit success

  18. Greening a Brownfield • Benefits • Add much needed open space to the Somerville park inventory and this neighborhood • Create increased connectivity with Union Square and proposed Green Line T Stop • Increase ecological potential • Develop community gardens • Take advantage of potential for educational component • Provide sitting and walking areas • Barriers • Requires creative financial partnerships • Lack of faith in the realization of economic and environmental payoff • Uncertain future of remediation technologies over long-term • Mistrust between public and stakeholders

  19. Tufts Street Arts Center • Phase I • Benefits • Mitigate groundwater contamination/ migration via pump-and-treat system • Reuse existing building after retrofitting concrete floor and ventilation system • Earn income by renting workshop space to industrially-oriented artists, tradespeople, and related vocational schools • Serve Somerville’s thriving artistic scene, including nearby Brickbottom • Establish create-work-learn community • Include public greenspace that can be used for sculpture display, demonstrations • Barriers • Assumes structural integrity of building • Requires initial investment for retrofitting, continued monitoring of indoor air quality • Stigma of contaminated building remains • Rental income will not balance expenses

  20. Tufts Street Arts CenterPotential Funding Sources • City of Somerville (US EPA) - Brownfield Economic Development Program (BEDP) • environmental testing services and remediation cost estimate • cost overrun coverage based on this estimate • City of Somerville (US EPA) - Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) • short-term loans to brownfield redevelopers for environmental remediation costs • MassDevelopment - Brownfields Site Assessment • interest-free financing of up to $50,000 for environmental site assessment • MassDevelopment - Brownfields Remediation Loan • financing of up to $500,000 for environmental clean-up as part of a redevelopment project • MA Business Development Corporation (MBDC) - MassBRAC Program • Brownfields Redevelopment Access to Capital Program - high quality, low cost environmental insurance for parties who wish to purchase, clean up, and/or develop brownfields sites • MA Department of Revenue - Brownfields Tax Credit Program • tax credit for costs incurred to rehabilitate contaminated property owned or leased for business purposes and located within an economically distressed area • MA Community Development Finance Corporation (CDFC) - The Real Estate Fund • flexible, short- to medium-term financing for CDFC-developed residential, commercial, and industrial real estate projects • MassDevelopment - Real Estate Loans • loans of up to $3 million for facility acquisition, renovation, construction, and permanent financing • MassDevelopment - Taxable Bonds • access to capital markets for industrial and commercial real estate projects • Massachusetts educational development grants for voc-tech schools • Massachusetts financial assistance for creating affordable housing

  21. Tufts Street Arts Center • Phase II • Remediation has time to work • Phase I provided political capital and neighborhood interest and activities • Building Typology: 4 story contextual mixed use • Live/work for artists, cafes, and retail with outdoor space • Green building technology • Barriers • 2.5-6 million dollar estimated remediation • Zoning

  22. Tufts Street Arts Center Phase II

  23. Next Steps • Conduct air sampling • Perform structural and code review • Create partnerships

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