East Gainesville Depot Park Project

A US EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot

The East Gainesville Depot Park Project is a collaborative effort to cleanup and restore properties known as "brownfields" in the historic heart of Gainesville. A brownfield is an abandoned, idle, or underused industrial or commercial property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. The project ties together environmental restoration, development of rail trails, historic preservation and infrastructure improvements to encourage neighborhood revitalization. The lessons learned can be applied to the cleanup of other brownfields both locally and nationally.

"Through the vision and participation of nearby neighbors, the city is reinvesting in the Depot Neighborhood." City Commissioner Pegeen Hanrahan

In the early 1900's, when railroads and industry were the mainstays of the economy, Gainesville was a major economic center for North Central Florida. As the City prospered, gas stations, dry cleaners, a manufactured gas plant, and other industries emerged near downtown. Some of these enterprises created environmental problems that are presently barriers to urban redevelopment.

The keystone of the Depot Park Project is the remediation of contaminants left by the former Gainesville Gas Company coal gas plant and turning the rehabilitated area into a stormwater park. Excavation and removal of coal tar will facilitate the creation of a stormwater basin that will capture and treat stormwater originating from downtown. Stormwater treatment will greatly reduce contaminants entering the Alachua Sink in Paynes Prairie that are harmful to wildlife and the Floridan Aquifer. The stormwater basin is also expected to reduce downtown redevelopment costs by preserving scarce land area for business creation, rather than stormwater detention. The hope is that the stormwater park will act as a catalyst for improving public health and safety, encouraging neighborhood revitalization and restoring community pride.

For general park information:
Matthew Dubé MLA
Projects Coordinator
Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency
Email: dubemb@cityofgainesville.org

For remediation contractor questions:
Ron Herget
Project Engineer
Gainesville Regional Utilities
Email: Hergetrg@gru.com