The City of Columbus is one step closer to implementing a federal grant that could bring about industrial development.
On Tuesday, the mayor and city council will decide on an environmental consultant to oversee a federal Brownfield Grant. The $400,000 grant will be used to assess and test industrial areas for possible contaminants. Brownfield grants are part of an EPA program designed to help cities replace contaminated or blighted areas.
“We received proposals from seven firms to oversee the grant,” City Planner Christina Berry said. “We used the Matrix program to narrow the applicants down to three. We held an interview session Monday and all three were asked a series of questions. All three firms are very qualified. We are looking for a firm that will work well with the community and help take us to the next level with the grant. Managing federal grants is a serious thing and we want to use the best consultant we can.”
The three finalists are Neel Schaffer of Columbus — a firm the city has often used, Earth Con of Madison and PPM of Jackson and Birmingham. All firms must be certified by the Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality. The consultant will begin a phase one assessment of a list of city properties to identify the area’s history. After the phase one study is complete, phase two, if needed, will be launched to test for contaminants.
“The properties we are targeting are places that we feel could have the biggest economic impact,” Berry said.
One such property is Yorkville Park, she said.
“The Yorkville Park Industrial area has a lot of buildings that are vacant,” Berry said. “Companies coming in want to make sure the buildings are clean and free from contaminants. The consultant will assess the area and determine whether or not it needs to be tested.”
Berry said the grant implementation is part of a larger economic development plan for Columbus.
“This is part of a bigger picture plan for redevelopment,” Berry said. “We are trying to use all of the tools we can. One way to do this is to use the Brownfield grant money.”
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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