Crossett has landed a $1 million federal Brownfields grant to start cleaning up the old Crossett Municipal Building at 307 Main St., the centerpiece of a years-long effort to reshape downtown. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award in June, one of two Arkansas grants in that round.
What the money does. The Arkansas Advocate reported the grant is a Brownfields Multipurpose award: it pays for cleanup of the municipal building and for environmental assessments of other city-owned properties. The city’s application, filed with EPA, named the Crossett Auditorium at 1100 Main St. and the Crossett Learning Center at 305 Oak St. as the assessment sites. Brownfield sites are properties where a confirmed or suspected contaminant, such as asbestos or heavy metals, complicates reuse.
Who got it done. City officials credited grant writer Hali McNeice, Crossett Economic Development Foundation director Mike Smith and the foundation board, with technical help from the firm Terracon. An earlier grant from the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality helped build momentum, officials told KNOE.
City leaders called the award a major step for downtown, but said more work remains before redevelopment can proceed.
Sources: KNOE (June 24); Arkansas Advocate; City of Crossett EPA grant application (PDF).
