Assessing for success

Through past and current public planning processes and development projects, the Village of Cross Plains has stated emphatically its desire to rehabilitate Main Street (US 14) into a vibrant mixed-use district. The West Gateway District of Main Street includes several vacant industrial properties that together comprise the former Zander Creamery property. The facility had been out of operation for over seven years, and had several environmental concerns on the property that hindered the purchase and re-use.

MSA’s environmental team worked with the Village and performed Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments to identify the concerns and facilitate property transfer. The work identified recognized environmental conditions (RECs) including areas affected by a leaking underground storage tank (LUST) with petroleum-contaminated soil on the property. Additional work by MSA completed the regulatory agency site investigation and remediation requirements to obtain site closure. To facilitate the existing building demolition, MSA performed pre-demolition assessments for hazardous materials to address the asbestos concerns throughout the vacant building.

In-house, cross-discipline cooperation

MSA’s planners and environmental specialists then helped obtain $287,000 in brownfield grants to help redevelop the site. MSA worked with the Village and the developer during the construction phase and remediation of problem areas during the construction of the new apartments. Metal building materials and equipment were salvaged and concrete and brick were transported to a concrete recycling facility. The petroleum-contaminated soil from the LUST site was properly managed to allow the new building construction.

The developer constructed a multi-unit residential complex that replaced the blighted property in the Main Street district.  For the project, the Village and MSA contacted the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) about redevelopment of this brownfield site and submitted an application for funding approval used by the developer of the project. MSA worked with the Village and developer to prepare a Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District for the redevelopment.