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Candidates say Evonik closure raises remediation questions and slow‑track reuse planning
Summary
The upcoming closure of the Evonik facility prompted candidates to call for environmental testing, remediation planning and a long timetable for reuse; suggestions included parks, trails, youth facilities and limited residential use depending on cleanup needs.
The forum’s candidates responded to a question about the upcoming closing of Evonik in the city, stressing uncertainty about contamination, the need for remediation studies and the time it will take to repurpose the site.
"It is gonna take a lot of effort, especially with the new EPA requirements. You're talking about an industry that's been there for a while. It could be a generator of PFAS that could have impacted the soil," one candidate said, urging that remediation needs dictate future use.
Suggestions for reuse ranged from rails‑to‑trails and parks to indoor recreational or youth facilities, with several candidates favoring uses that would benefit children and community programming if remediation and structural conditions allow. "Personally I would like to see something come in there for the kids... something such as a sports park, indoor," one candidate said.
Several candidates recalled prior industrial owners (Hubert, Vulcan) and said Evonik has corporate plans to retain part of the site while selling other parcels; a candidate noted Evonik has failed some inspections in the past. Candidates agreed reuse planning requires soil tests, traffic and zoning studies and likely a multi‑year timetable for cleanup, permitting and design.
No candidate urged immediate large‑scale housing on the Evonik parcel, and most said decisions should follow technical assessment and interagency coordination rather than quick redevelopment.
