Peace Garden News

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that he has helped secure a $2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Cleanup Grant program to support the redevelopment of the Lashkowitz High Rise in Fargo. Hoeven made the announcement along with local leaders, including Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney and Fargo Housing & Redevelopment Authority CEO Chris Brungardt, outlining his efforts on the Senate Interior-EPA Appropriations Committee to ensure the city has the funding it needs to address asbestos at the site and move the project forward, which will provide 110 units of affordable housing for the region. The asbestos remediation is expected to take 80 days, with demolition to occur in fall of this year. Specifically, the senator:

• Worked with Barry Breen, EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management, to:
  • Replace the outdated U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facility.
  • Ensure the Brownfields Cleanup Grant program can adequately meet the community’s needs.
• Repeatedly raised the demolition and redevelopment of the Lashkowitz High Rise as a priority with HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge during Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations committee hearings in recent years.
• Hosted a call between the City of Fargo and HUD officials to identify funding opportunities for the project. 

            Today’s award is the latest in Hoeven’s efforts to advance the Lashkowitz Riverfront project, which has now received nearly $24 million in federal funding, including from the Housing Trust Fund, which was awarded in November, as well as the HUD Capital Fund Grant and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

“The presence of asbestos at the Lashkowitz High Rise presented a real challenge for the City of Fargo, creating a funding shortfall for this critically-needed affordable housing project,” said Hoeven. “That’s why we went to work with city leaders and officials at HUD and EPA to identify funding opportunities and secure this $2 million award. With these funds in place, the existing facility can be safely demolished and new, high-quality, affordable housing can take its place in this prime location, serving the community for years to come.”

“Moving this project forward and being able to focus on the redevelopment of affordable housing on this site has been a top priority for the City of Fargo,” said Mahoney. “Thank you to Senator Hoeven for getting this Brownfields funding to allow for the environmental remediation and demolition of this historic redevelopment project in the City of Fargo.”

“We are very excited for the EPA Brownfields Grant to allow us to abate hazardous materials and pave the way for the new 110-unit Lashkowitz Riverfront,” said Brungardt. “The new Lashkowitz will provide direly needed affordable housing to our downtown neighborhoods. I’m appreciative of the work and cooperation from Senator Hoeven, the City of Fargo, and our EPA partners.”

Original source can be found here.