Manitowoc, Milwaukee to get $1.1M in brownfield grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that Manitowoc and Milwaukee have been selected to receive grant awards totaling $1.1 million in brownfields funding through its Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Grants.

The money will help the two communities assess and cleanup abandoned industrial and commercial properties that have been targeted for redevelopment.

Manitowoc and its project partner, Two Rivers, will use the $600,000 grant to investigate properties in both cities. Priority sites include the Village Square and a railyard and coal transloading site in Manitowoc and the Jay Streu Property in Two Rivers. The award announced Monday is the sixth received by Manitowoc.

The city used previous funding to clean up the former Manitou Manor and Mirro Plant #3, as well as investigating 28 other properties.  Private investment of over $61 million has been spent of redevelopment projects at these sites.

The city of Milwaukee will use its $500,000 grant to remediate historic contamination at 3100 W. Capitol Drive. The property, which has been vacant since 2010, was used as a gas station and petroleum handling facility.

The EPA also announced that Stevens Point has been selected for a $300,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant, bringing the statewide total to $1.4 million.