The Michigan Departmentof Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is conducting a phase one environmental assessment on a potential site for redevelopment in Alma.
The study is a “prerequisite for properties to be marketed by the state” for reuse, accordingto interim City Manager Aeric Ripley.
The city commission approved a request from EGLE to enter the 163-acre site on West Hoffman Road to do the assessment during last week’s meeting.
The agency will make funds available to the Gratiot County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority in order to compile environmental data for all sites that are associated with the former Total Petroleum refinery.
The property is located on both sides of Hoffman Road, from Jerome Road to the dead endnear U.S.127. It is also adjacent to a tract land to the south that belonged to the refinery.
Greater Gratiot DevelopmentInc. is responsible for the management of the project. GGDI and the city had received a $50,000 Michigan Economic DevelopmentCorp. A grant of $50,000 was given to GGDI a few years back. It was used for demolition of several vacant structures that were on the property.
The environmental assessment will determine if there are any contaminants on the site and if remediation will be necessary before the parcel is allowed to be reused.
The site is already zoned to industrial use and is the largest tract available for redevelopment.
It’s an attractive parcel because of its proximity to water, sewer, gas and electricalinfrastructure, as well as being located near a railroad and the expressway.
The property has “already drawn a lot of interest from potential investors,” according to GGDI Project Manager Kasey Zehner.
December 2020 was the completion of demolition and abatement.
The city leases the land to a local farmer for planting crops, and the remaining 3,360 square feet building on a 10-acre parcel to a company to store cold goods.