High Point Looks For New Uses Of Former Industrial Sites

The City of High Point wants to help cleanup former contaminated industrial sites and turn them into economic redevelopment opportunities, and will hold a public meeting next month to talk about possible plans.

An 11-mile block in downtown is being eyed for redevelopment. High Point is using a $400,000 brownfields grant from the EPA to check for pollutants at several locations in this area.

A “brownfield site” is an abandoned, idled or underused property where the threat of environmental contamination has hindered its redevelopment.

The city is partnering with ECS Carolinas, LLC and Greenfield to inventory the sites.

Wendy Fuscoe, core city administrator, says they will hold a public meeting to share their plans.

“We started looking at or considering hundreds of properties but we've whittled it down to about 15 or 17 where the property owners have agreed to give us access and they're interested in developing their property,” says Fuscoe.

She says places like dry cleaners, gas stations and some industrial properties have some of the highest redevelopment potential.

The public meeting will take place on September 29 at City Hall Council.

*Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news.