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Background
Historically, this site operated as a boiler house with coal-fired boilers converted to fuel oil in the 1920s and is currently contaminated with many hazardous materials. In 2022, the City Council declared the building hazardous and dangerous. In 2023, the City funded the removal of the smoke stack and took the property by eminent domain.
The City of Sanford was awarded a Brownfields Cleanup Grant of $5,000,000, in May 2024, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This grant will focus on the cleanup of the remaining International Woolen Mill Boiler House located on Pioneer Avenue in Sanford. Cleanup will eliminate environmental hazards and make way for a 60+ spot parking lot, supporting the future redevelopment of the Mill Yard.
Cleanup Grant Timeline
October 2024: Cleanup grant funding available from EPA
November 2024: Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) hired through competitive procurement process
April 2025: Community Involvement Plan (CIP) and revised Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) reports issued
May 20, 2025:Project update and public hearing during City Council meeting
June 2025: Final revised Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) report and Brownfields Decision Document issued
Ongoing:
Geotechnical / structural evaluation of Pioneer Avenue retaining wall
Preparation of pre-cleanup documents (Remedial Action Plan, permits, contractor specifications)
Parking lot design
Historic preservation consultation
Winter 2025 through Spring 2026: Finalize retaining wallstabilization design and parking lot design, develop cleanup specifications, and issue bid documents for remediation contractor
Spring-Fall 2026:Hire remediation contractor, execute cleanup, stabilize retaining wall, and construct parking lot
Fall-Winter 2026: Post-cleanup documentation
Background
Historically, this site operated as a boiler house with coal-fired boilers converted to fuel oil in the 1920s and is currently contaminated with many hazardous materials. In 2022, the City Council declared the building hazardous and dangerous. In 2023, the City funded the removal of the smoke stack and took the property by eminent domain.
The City of Sanford was awarded a Brownfields Cleanup Grant of $5,000,000, in May 2024, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This grant will focus on the cleanup of the remaining International Woolen Mill Boiler House located on Pioneer Avenue in Sanford. Cleanup will eliminate environmental hazards and make way for a 60+ spot parking lot, supporting the future redevelopment of the Mill Yard.
Cleanup Grant Timeline
October 2024: Cleanup grant funding available from EPA
November 2024: Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) hired through competitive procurement process
April 2025: Community Involvement Plan (CIP) and revised Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) reports issued
May 20, 2025:Project update and public hearing during City Council meeting
June 2025: Final revised Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) report and Brownfields Decision Document issued
Ongoing:
Geotechnical / structural evaluation of Pioneer Avenue retaining wall
Preparation of pre-cleanup documents (Remedial Action Plan, permits, contractor specifications)
Parking lot design
Historic preservation consultation
Winter 2025 through Spring 2026: Finalize retaining wallstabilization design and parking lot design, develop cleanup specifications, and issue bid documents for remediation contractor
Spring-Fall 2026:Hire remediation contractor, execute cleanup, stabilize retaining wall, and construct parking lot
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