6.D.(4) Application to Brownfields Program

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~ .~ c~~~ ypUTH ~'~ ~ i% ~ ~ ~~ 2 Community & Economic Development ~~~\'°~,~ r ~- 1200 County-City Building, 227 West Jefferson, South Bend, Indiana 46601-1830 ~ Phone 574/235-9371 • Fax 574/235-9021 To: Redevelopment Commission From: Ann Kolata~/~~~ ~.~ ai Subject: Former Millennium Environmental Property - 604 S. Scott Street Date: March 2, 2010 On or about March Stn the South Bend Redevelopment Commission will be acquiring title to the former Millennium Environmental property at 604 S. Scott Street. This is a property that went through previous tax sales and was not redeemed. The St. Joseph County Commissioners now have a tax certificate on the property and will be deeding the property to the South Bend Redevelopment Commission either next week or shortly thereafter. The property has had a number of environmental problems on it and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has conducted much of the required cleanup. Their work is ongoing and they have assured us that they want to continue with the cleanup to its conclusion. We have been working with our environmental legal counsel, Plews Shadley Racher & Braun, to make sure that the Commission is protected from environmental liability on this property. Following their recommendations we have a Phase I Environmental Assessment that will be completed before March Stn and are expecting a letter from IDEM and/or U.S. EPA by the Stn as well. A final recommendation from legal counsel is that we seek a "Comfort Letter" from the Indiana Brownfields Program for this property. The draft application for this letter is attached to this memo. We will be discussing this application with the Indiana Brownfields Program this week so a Comfort Letter can be issued prior to the date of deed transfer. Once the Commission acquires title to the property we will begin work on preparation of demolition specs for the two buildings that are on the property. IDEM will coordinate their remaining remediation with our demolition of the buildings. They have told us that the only remaining remediation is to excavate soil that is under the south building. Our demolition of this building will enable them to get to the problem area and take care of this last item. Please contact me at 235-9374 or akolata(cr~southbendin.gov if you have any questions. enc.