Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
West College Street and South Market Avenue
Date of Report: January 31, 2003
Assessment Funding: EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant
Acres: approximately 1.8
Site Background
The subject property is located southeast of West College Street and South Market Avenue at approximately 220 South Market Avenue in a historical commercial area of downtown Springfield. Jordan Creek represents the nearest waterway, located approximately about ¼ mile to the north of the property. The property contains at least five parcels of land and is currently used for public parking. A variety of development has been present at the subject property from 1884 through 1969, including a fire department, city hall, stores and hotels, a convention hall, wholesale grocery, and a clothing manufacturer in 1950. An auto repairing establishment was present on historic maps in the southwest corner of the property in 1957 and 1963. In 1954 buildings covered almost the entire property. By 1960 the southeastern portion of the property had been converted to a parking lot.
Findings
Based on the information obtained in the Phase I investigation, no environmental conditions were identified at this location.
Addendum to Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
Date of Report: May 12, 2003
Site Background
This report expands on an earlier Phase I assessment (January 31, 2003) to include what is called ‘Area B’ of the subject property. This addendum contains only information substantially different from the earlier Phase I assessment. All other information relevant to a Phase I Environmental Assessment of the subject property is contained in the prior Phase I document, dated January 31, 2003. Area B of the subject property contains three parcels and is currently used for public parking. From 1884 through approximately 1950, use of area B included a church, residential dwellings, hotels or boarding houses, a livery, a furniture store, the Lyric Theatre, a lumber yard, a garment factory, a furniture repair store, a dry goods store, and used auto sales and services. From 1957 through 1969 the use of Area B was almost entirely parking. During that time period, a hotel, restaurant and stores were present in the eastern side of Area B, and an auto repair building was present on the western side of Area B. The auto repair business apparently operated from 1933 to 1969. Historic maps indicate the presence of gasoline tanks along College Street at the southwest corner of Area B and on the south-central border of Area B in 1933 and 1950.
Findings
Based on the information obtained in the Phase I investigation, there are no recognized environmental conditions at this location. The above mentioned historic gasoline tanks represent a historical recognized environmental condition, however, due to the fact that the tanks were not indicated on later maps and the extensive roadwork that has been performed in this area over the past 20 years, it is the assessor’s opinion that significant environmental conditions no longer remain.
