Ravenswood wins $500,000 EPA grant to fund townwide environmental assessments

Molly Washburn, director of Downtown Ravenswood Partners, told the council the organization has secured a $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency community-wide assessment grant to pay for environmental assessments of commercial buildings across the city.

The grant is a four-year award intended to fund Phase 1 studies that identify potential environmental contaminants such as lead, asbestos, paint and mold in commercial properties, Washburn said. "This is what the EPA refers to as a phase 1," she said, adding that the studies are the first step before owners can pursue further remediation funding.

Why it matters: Phase 1 assessments give building owners and potential buyers a baseline of known contaminants; having the work completed can be a condition for certain bank-financed transactions and can unlock follow-up cleanup grants if contaminants are found. Washburn said the funding will cover consultant procurement costs and public meetings during the assessment stage.

Washburn said the grant funding became available Oct. 1 and staff are completing administrative steps and training so the city can issue an RFQ to hire an environmental consultant. "I'm getting some administrative, training and paperwork in place, and then we'll be able to submit the RFQ to procure a consultant," she said.

Council members asked procedural questions about timing and next steps. Washburn said the project will include outreach and public meetings once a consultant is selected and the city has completed the required administrative setup.

The council did not take a formal vote on the grant at the meeting; Washburn said she would move forward with the RFQ and bring further updates to the council at a future meeting.