The city’s Economic Development Director, Kim Repass, told the Radford City Council that work to clean up the West Radford Commerce Park (commonly called the Foundry) is progressing and that state environmental officials have issued a certificate of satisfactory completion for the landfill cap.

Repass said the city received a $3,500,000 state grant for the Foundry project. She reported that the project started August 20 and that concrete removal totals through Oct. 31 were 619 tons in August, 3,944 tons in September and 7,083 tons in October — a combined 11,647 tons removed so far. Repass described a 250,000-square-foot concrete pad, footers up to about 15 feet deep and areas where crews have hit bedrock.

On Oct. 31 the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) provided a certificate of satisfactory completion for the landfill; Repass said the EDA approved the certificate Nov. 6 and the city manager would sign the certificate pending council approval. Repass also explained that the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act (UECA) covenant will be recorded with the deed and will impose land‑use restrictions that, as currently drafted, will limit the Foundry’s use to industrial purposes.

Repass said the contractor HT Bowling is grinding and removing concrete; some material is ground for on‑site fill and some is shipped to the New River Resource Authority, which has provided a discount. She said the Virginia economic development program (VDP/VDP pipeline) has indicated that if the project remains under budget the city should proceed with asphalt removal (82,000 square feet) and additional work to advance the site's tier for regional site selection.

Why it matters: the DEQ VRP certificate and recorded covenants clear important legal and environmental steps that make the site more marketable to prospective buyers, while the covenants also limit permissible uses and therefore shape redevelopment options.

Next steps: finalize recording of the VRP certificate and UECA with the deed; continue concrete and asphalt removal as budget and engineering constraints allow; the city and EDA will keep marketing the site to prospects.