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Neighborhood Development Area is represented in Census Tract 10, along with <br />one block group from Census Tract 9. (See Map 7.) <br />Within the Northeast Neighborhood are pockets of stable populations and owner - <br />occupied single - family homes in proximity to pockets of unemployment and <br />distressed housing conditions. The median income of the area is well below that <br />of the City of South Bend. Overall, the Northeast Neighborhood has lost nearly <br />30% of its population between 1970 and 2000. Population loss, <br />coupled with the lowered relative incomes of the residual population, has resulted <br />in a decreased housing inventory in both grade and number of housing options. <br />H. Public Institutions, Facilities and Recreational Areas <br />Within the boundary of the Northeast Neighborhood Development Area are one <br />public school (Perley Elementary) and two public recreational areas (Coquillard <br />Park and Kelly Park). Fredrickson Park is an additional site owned by the City <br />that will be developed as an Environmental Education Center. The total land area <br />of these facilities is approximately 38 acres and accounts for approximately 6.2 % <br />of the total land area of the Development Area. <br />I. Environmental Conditions <br />Within the Northeast Neighborhood, between Howard Street and South Bend <br />Avenue, is a 15.7 acre former landfill site that the City acquired in 1984 with the <br />intention of constructing a neighborhood park. Subsequent environmental <br />assessment of the site, already called Fredrickson Park after a benefactor, revealed <br />unsafe methane gas levels and lead contamination from the dumping of paints and <br />gasoline. As a result, the site lay dormant for many years. <br />In 2000, planning began for Fredrickson Park to become an Environmental <br />Education Center. Environmental remediation work has been funded through an <br />Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan to <br />the City of South Bend, with assistance from both state and local governmental <br />agencies. The project will include site clearance; grading and contouring of the <br />site to maximize drainage; consolidation of the solid waste in a compact area; <br />installing underground methane control systems; capping the waste with <br />impervious material to reduce water infiltration; introduction of shallow- rooted <br />vegetative cover to minimize erosion; and ongoing monitoring of groundwater for <br />impacts. Once environmental remediation work has been completed, construction <br />will begin on trails, educational classrooms and other improvements to the site. <br />13 <br />