Pre-Submittal Conference Set for August 27; Request for Qualifications Closes September 7

DURHAM, N.C. – Now that the City of Durham has been notified that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be awarding a 2018 Brownfields Assessment Grant to Durham, qualified and experienced engineering and environmental contractors are being sought to assist with the management and execution of this grant.

With this additional 2018 award, the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development will use these brownfields assessment grant funds for community outreach, environmental assessment, and cleanup planning activities to support the redevelopment of brownfields properties in targeted areas of the city.

A Request for Qualifications is now available on the City’s website, or a physical copy may be examined Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 807 E. Main St., Suite 5-100, Durham, N.C. A pre-submittal conference for engineering and environmental contractors seeking additional information is set for Monday, August 27 at 10 a.m. at 807 E. Main St., Suite 5-100, Durham, N.C. Proposals must be received by 3 p.m. on Friday, September 7.

Through the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, the EPA continues efforts to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Durham began its brownfields assessment grant program in 2006 with a Community-Wide Hazardous Substance Brownfields Assessment Grant. In 2009, following successful implementation of the first grant, the City began implementing an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded Community-Wide Hazardous Substance and Petroleum Brownfields Assessment grant. An additional award was also received in 2014.

Since the program’s inception, the City has worked closely with stakeholders in target communities, such as Northeast Central Durham, to inventory, assess, and redevelop brownfields sites that have significant impact on the health, welfare, and environment. To date, the City has used EPA Brownfields funding to complete Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, Asbestos and Lead-Based Paint Surveys, and HUD Environmental Reviews for as many as 90 properties encompassing approximately 40 acres of viable industrial and commercial redevelopment areas in Durham.

For additional information about this grant, contractors may contact Senior Economic Development Coordinator Summer Alston with the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development at (919) 560-4965, ext. 15238 or at [email protected].

About the City of Durham Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development helps ensure that Durham has a strong and diverse economy by increasing the city’s tax base through several revitalization initiatives, including new development efforts in the central city area. The department also plans and promotes cultural awareness and events, identifies and recruits target industries as well as assesses and trains Durham residents to fill new jobs.