A neighborhood near downtown Tucson may soon see brownfields remediation work thanks to just-released funding coming out of Washington.
The neighborhood is in the vicinity of the intersection of Oracle Road and Miracle Mile, within the borders of the 85705 zip code.
Because of that zip code designation, local officials and community activists have launched a program called Thrive in the 05, designed to promote investment and the redevelopment of one of the oldest parts of the city, which first saw multi-racial and multi-ethnic housing more than a year ago.
Roughly a 2.3-square mile section of the city, the Thrive in the 05 Area is bounded by the famous Miracle Mile to the North, Speedway Boulevard to the south, Stone Avenue to the east, and Interstate 10 to the west.
An area with roughly 12,000 residents, the Thrive in the 05 Area also includes some of the oldest homes and retail properties in the metro area. The 05 Area went into decline beginning in the early 1960s after the construction of the I-10.
But in recent decades a revival has taken place, with some of the neon-lit motor courts and other retail spaces in the area renovated and upgraded.
Now the City of Tucson has received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency designed to remediate brownfields sites. The EPA award is the largest ever received by Tucson for specific brownfields work.
City officials say that most likely the largest portion of the funding, officially coming through a Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund, will be used to clean up abandoned industrial sites in the Thrive in the 05 Area.
The revolving loan fund is particularly designed to clean up sites contaminated by hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum. The funds must be used within 5 years of being awarded.
By Garry Boulard
