St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care will hold a public hearing Jan. 5, 2017 from 4 – 6 pm to solicit comments and provide information on a proposed Brownfield Cleanup and redevelopment at its Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave. The meeting will allow residents to voice concerns and learn about current conditions and plans to mitigate and remove affected soils. St. Ann Center received $400,000 in EPA grants to remove or cap the dirt piles.
St. Ann Center was able to purchase the two-block parcel of land from the city in 2014 for $1 because it was affected by petroleum and lead-based pollutants from years earlier; hundreds of Milwaukee homes were bulldozed in the 1960’s and 1970’s to make way for the Park East Freeway. The freeway was never built, but the pollutants were never removed from the soil.
Brownfield dirt was moved from the site in order to build the Bucyrus Campus in 2015 and is currently contained in covered piles at the back of the facility. Earlier this year, St. Ann Center applied for and received $400,000 in US EPA Brownfield Cleanup grants to remove or cap the dirt piles. The work is scheduled to start in April 2017 under supervision of the US EPA.
“We are very fortunate to have received funding to remove the dirt,” said St. Ann Center President Sr. Edna Lonergan. “Neighbors who have concerns or would like to learn more about this project should attend our public hearing on January 5th.”
An Information Repository containing the environmental assessments, remediation plans and several other environmental documents is available at the Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave., and online.
St. Ann Center specializes in adult and child day services within a safe, home-like intergenerational setting, where compassion, care and dignity are key. They bring all ages together—from 6 weeks old to over 100 years of age.
Public comments regarding the project can be submitted at the public meeting or directly to John Jansen, Project Manager, via email at jjansen@stanncenter.org or regular mail at St. Ann Center, 2801 E. Morgan Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207.