Stevens Point awarded $4.5 million EPA grant

STEVENS POINT –Stevens Point will receive nearly $4.5 million in grants for brownfield site assessment and cleanup relating to the former Shopko site.
Brownfield is a term used to describe abandoned or unused commercial and industrial properties that might have potential environmental contamination.
“This is a tremendous step forward for the redevelopment of this property”, said Mayor Mike Wiza. “Having the funds to properly clean up the environment issues on the site will allow the master plan to move forward. Development projects had to be put on hold until this cleanup can occur. I expect us to start seeing significant movement on the approved site plan now.”
EPA’s Brownfields Program which began in 1995 has worked to help states, Tribal Nations, and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites and, once these grants are awarded, will have provided over $3 billion in grant funding to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse.
The City of Stevens Point was awarded $500,000 for assessments and the Redevelopment Authority for the city was awarded $3,964223 for cleanup on the downtown site.