May 27, 2024 –The City of Decatur has received $500,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin environmental site assessments in the urban core.
The EPA Brownfields program is very competitive, with Decatur being one of 10 Illinois cities awarded funding. The program provides technical assistance to assess and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. The City of Decatur will use the funding to conduct 16 environmental site assessments in the Jasper Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive corridors. Grant funds will also support community engagement activities and the development of reuse plans for certain properties.
“The City of Decatur is thrilled to receive this support for redevelopment projects in some of our most challenging Environmental Justice areas and under-served, urban core neighborhoods,” said Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe. “We have a great list of project ideas, including the new state-of-the-art Tillamook facility, and input on quality of life improvements gathered through our Jasper Great Streets Great Neighborhoods project. We are eager to get started!”
Priority sites for assessment and reuse include the 21.5-acre Tillamook campus (former Prairie Farms), the 9-acre former Tire One fuel transfer and distribution center, and three former gas stations. The grant will also advance implementation of the City’s Jasper Great Streets Great Neighborhoods project.
After completing assessments, the City intends to apply for grants to remediate environmental issues and begin redevelopment projects at assessed properties.
