Mayor Awards Brownfields Funds to Emmaus, Inc. to Develop Housing for Homeless

 

HAVERHILL- Mayor James J. Fiorentini today announced that one of the first sites to be assessed under the City’s Brownfields Assessment grant program will be a vacant lot owned by Emmaus, Inc. of Haverhill.  Emmaus, Inc. plans to redevelop the lot, located at the corner of How Street and Welcome Street, into permanent housing for a chronically homeless elderly population.

 

“I’m pleased that Emmaus, Inc. will be able to receive a free environmental assessment by top industry professionals through our grant for such a good cause,” stated Mayor Fiorentini.  “Such assessments are required before any converting former industrial sites into housing, and these comprehensive assessments usually cost thousands of dollars,” the Mayor noted.

 

The City won a $400,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to assess underutilized sites that are either contaminated or suspected of having contamination.  The grant seeks to obtain scientific answers about concerns that frequently inhibit redevelopment of former industrial properties, such as those found in Downtown Haverhill. All applications for nominated properties for these assessments are carefully considered by the City’s Brownfields Steering Committee, chaired by Ross Povenmire.  If appropriate sites are found, the City will apply for EPA cleanup funds.

 

“The City seeks to ‘jump-start’ redevelopment of our industrial and commercial core with this grant funding, so property owners will get a better handle on what cleanup costs would be, if any,” the Mayor explained.  “This grant is as much about finding out what’s clean as it is about what’s dirty.  Redeveloping brownfields continues to be a major priority for me as Mayor” he declared.

 

Emmaus, Inc. Executive Director Jeanine Murphy stated, “As a non-profit service provider which relies on donations, Emmuas, Inc. is thrilled the City has selected our site to receive such an assessment, which was required in order for us to pursue other funding to build this badly-needed site.  I’d like to thank the Mayor, the EPA and the Brownfields Steering Committee for helping move this project forward.  I’d encourage other property owners to take advantage of this program.”

 

Any property in the City limits is eligible to apply for funding.  Applications are found on the City’s web site as well as by calling Andrew Herlihy at the Mayor’s office at 978-374-2300 or emailing aherlihy@cityofhaverhill.com.