Successful Brownfield redevelopment of abandoned gas station in Ingham County, MI

A local developer was looking to redevelop a highly visible location near Michigan State University, and sought out PM Environmental for environmental services.

The development site was a partially vacant property that had once housed a gas station and a Big Boy restaurant.  The gas station had since been demolished, but the shell of the restaurant remained and would need to be demolished. 

The developer, a long-term resident and business owner in the community, knew the potential of the abandoned space.  He realized that the high traffic corner was ideal for a new gas station and convenience store and would bring value to the community.

PM conducted a Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), and identified multiple recognized environmental conditions (RECs) that warranted further investigation.  PM then conducted a Phase II ESA, which included ground penetrating radar (GPR) to determine the presence of orphan Underground Storage Tank (USTs), soil borings, and gas samples.

The subject property was an open Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) site due to previous automotive service and gasoline dispensing activities.  There were two in-ground hoists, a former waste oil UST that had been installed in approximately 1965 and removed in 1987. The former gasoline service station building also utilized fuel oil as a heat source, which was stored in an AST located directly east of the former building.

Based on the results of the investigations, PM determined the property to be a “facility”, resulting in eligibility for Brownfield tax increment financing funding in the State of Michigan.  

PM then proceeded to prepare a Brownfield Plan requesting reimbursement for Baseline Environmental Assessment activities including the Phase I, Phase II, BEA and Documentation of Due Care Compliance; Due Care Activities including the environmental cleanup; Demolition including the building and site demolition; Asbestos activities including inspection and abatement as well as Brownfield plan preparation.

The plan was submitted to and approved by the township and the county, and the developer is eligible for $100,000 in reimbursement. 

The developer successfully demolished the restaurant structure safely, since PM had not detected the presence of asbestos, and construction is underway.  The $1.6 million project created 15 construction jobs, 20 part-time and 16 full-time positions.