BY STACIE LETT CAIN

A steady stream of residents made their way from one picture board to another Monday night at the Statesville Civic Center to see what was planned for two corridors in the city.

“This is happening because of growth,” Council member Doris Allison explained. “To see the reconstruction of these areas, it will change the dynamics of this community.”

Allison hopes that improvements to the Monroe Street/Allison Street corridor and the West Front Street corridor will not only improve the safety of the area, but will also bring people together.

“These improvements are providing the structure for new life and a new beginning for this area of the city,” Allison said.

A brownfield area is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as an area or property that contains or may contain a hazardous substance, pollutants or contaminants, complicating efforts to expand, redevelop or reuse them.

In 2002, the EPA started awarding small amounts of funding to help in the planning necessary to abate these areas. The Brownfield Utilization Investment and Local Development (BUILD) Act of 2018 expanded on that program and from there bipartisan support brought with it more funding opportunities.

The City of Statesville applied and was awarded a Brownfield grant in 2021, for the grant period 2022-2026.

“The city applied for the grant, identifying these areas as key areas, high priority areas, that were in need of revitalization but faced the challenges of underutilization of properties and possible or perceived contamination,” Brian Kvam, senior principle for Brownfields Redevelopment for Stantec, the company contracted by the city to facilitate the planning for this area. “The city has four years to use the funding and up to 25 percent of the funding received can be used for planning.”

The plans are slated to be presented to the City Council either later in the fall of 2024 or early 2025 according to Kaitlyn Woolard, another Stantec representative.

“It is our goal to present the plans to the city with an implementation framework with possible funding sources,” Woolard explained.

Both corridors, according to Assistant to the City Manager Matthew Pierce, are in what used to be a manufacturing district.

“The City of Statesville secured funding through this Brownfield grant to explore how the city can make the best use of older manufacturing buildings and enhance the overall quality of life in these communities,” Pierce said.

Plans on display included greenspaces, mixed-use commercial buildings as well as multi-family housing units.

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