Having a ball with economic revival April 14 - 15

Having a ball with economic revival  April 14 -15

On the way to school the other day, my  8-year-old son, Jack, and I paused to watch a crane and wrecking ball slowly pound away at the old grain elevator near the railroad tracks on Wenzel Street.  Jake was fascinated.
In his short memory, that building has always been abandoned and deteriorating.  In my much-longer memory, I'm not sure I ever saw it in productive use either.
Jack began to imagine the possibilities of what might be built in its place once demolition is complete.
I was proud his mind was conjuring new possibilities while being awed by the heavy equipment.
He said, "I think they should build a Chuck E. Cheese's there, Mom."
In Jack's eyes, John Hayes and I will have achieved economic development perfection when Chuck E. Cheese comes to Sturgis.
In lieu of that, I'd like to bring out another service the EDC can offer.
In the past, I've mentioned the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, managed under the umbrella of the St. Joseph County EDC, which was formed to assist in the revitalization of throughout the county.
More than two years ago, we began with a $400,000 Brownfield assessment grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and have used about $240,000 of those monies to date.  A large portion of the assessment dollars remaining are targeted at sites contaminated by petroleum products.
The grant will expire at the end of September 2007 and we are seeking candidate sites where environmental assessment activities may be useful for marketing or redevelopment.
Sites the immediately come to mind are abandoned gas or services stations, businesses which used and disposed of petroleum-based substances.  Is there such a contaminated site in your community that, with a little dreaming and planning, might once again become a vital location?  If so, please call me at (269) 467-5663  and perhaps the EDC can help start the process.
P.S. Any community remaking an abandoned site into a pizza arcade gets extra kudos from Jack.

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