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Site selection

Shelly Griswold, Director of Community Development, City of Freeport. Site selection. City of Freeport. Located in northwestern Illinois Location of one of the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates Population: 25,638 Median family income: $35,589

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Site selection

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  1. Shelly Griswold, Director of Community Development, City of Freeport Site selection

  2. City of Freeport • Located in northwestern Illinois • Location of one of the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates • Population: 25,638 • Median family income: $35,589 • Growing momentum around economic revitalization of brownfields and other contaminated sites Images: City of Freeport. http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/about/location.htm; http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/livinginfreeport/LincolnDouglas.htm

  3. East Side Neighborhood • African-American community • Cut off from downtown by the Pecatonica River and a railroad • Quality of life impacted by: • Flooding • Dilapidated housing • Limited neighborhood-oriented amenities • Strained relationship with the City limits effectiveness of revitalization discussions

  4. Flood Impacts and Regulation • Pecatonica River experiences frequent flooding. • Disrupts neighborhood life in several city neighborhoods. • FEMA is responsible for designation of floodway areas. • City is responsible for enforcement of floodway regulations related to permitting of construction and improvements.

  5. Top Left: Flooding (ca. 1914-1940), source: http://www.robertbike.com/wienand-photo-album; Bottom Left: Flooding (2013), source: http://www.journalstandard.com Top: Flooding (2013), source: EPA

  6. Disproportionate Impact of FEMA Regulations • FEMA regulations currently limit improvements on structures located in a floodway to half of the structure’s value. • This regulation disproportionately impacts homeowners in the East Side neighborhood. • It has resulted in declining home values and housing quality, which further contributes to a cycle of disinvestment in homes and businesses in the neighborhood.

  7. Engaging with SRI • City has actively partnered with EPA on site cleanup and revitalization for numerous contaminated sites. • In 2011, the City met with the Region 5 Reuse Coordinator to discuss the CMC Heartland site. • The City identified the opportunity to: • foster a broader conversation about neighborhood quality of life on the East Side, • improve strained relationships between the City and neighborhood residents, and • address revitalization of multiple contaminated sites. • SRI identified funding for an areawide planning effort.

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