Lorain Council approves brownfield grant application

LORAIN — State grants could be used to clean up industrial sites in Lorain. City Council authorized Safety/Service Director Sanford Washington to apply for brownfield remediation funding for the Pellet Terminal site, St. Joseph Hospital and Stoveworks. There is $350 million available for the investigation, cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites across Ohio under Gov. Mike DeWine's Ohio BUILDS initiative for infrastructure improvements and redevelopment. Lorain hopes to use those funds for environmental studies where needed, or remediation. For example, the Pellet Terminal site, which the city owns or has a long-term lease on, already had phase I and II studies, Washington said Monday, but remediation funds could be used to clear the site including the finger piers so it can be developed. The city does not have to own the site to be able to use brownfield funds on it. The former St. Joseph Community Center, now a wasteland of debris near West 21st Street and Reid Avenue, still needs some environmental studies, but the funds can also be used to help the city determine what hazards are still on the site, so long as the city has access to it. St. Joseph Community Center's demolition has been on hold since May after property owner A7 Development and Earth Exchange Inc. failed to pull proper demolition permits for all the buildings it tore down. In the case of the Stoveworks site in central Lorain, brownfield funds could further plans for affordable housing and help cover costs for remediation or property acquisition. In other news In a show of appreciation, City Council unanimously rejected receiving and filing longtime Clerk Nancy Greer's retirement, noting they didn't want her to leave her role with the city. Council's vote doesn't change Greer's retirement. In her correspondence, Greer thanked past and present Council members for their support and the opportunity to serve as their clerk for the past 30 years. Her last day is Feb. 18.