(Michigan City, IN) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the City of Michigan City to receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant.

 

It’s part of a nationwide $267 million investment to help communities assess and safely redevelop properties with environmental challenges.

 

The funds will be used to identify and evaluate targeted brownfield sites on the north side of Michigan City, laying the groundwork for future cleanup and revitalization projects that benefit residents and attract economic investment.

 

Grant funding will support up to 10 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments, development of cleanup plans, community engagement, and the updating of an existing brownfield site inventory.

 

Priority sites include the 7.7-acre former Memorial Hospital property, the 6.4-acre McKay Printing site, a 5.4-acre industrial facility, the 62-acre former Marquette Mall and a 2.1-acre former furniture factory.

 

“This grant represents a major step forward in our efforts to transform long-neglected properties into productive spaces that enhance our city’s health, environment, and economic opportunity,” said Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch.

 

The grant was awarded through EPA’s Brownfields Program, which empowers communities to assess and remediate sites where redevelopment has been complicated by the presence of hazardous substances or pollutants.

 

Since 1995, the program has helped communities nationwide create over 220,000 jobs and leverage more than $42 billion in redevelopment investment.