Hemisphere: About Us

CASE STUDY: Toledo

STREET PROJECT MOVES FORWARD AFTER DECADE OF DELAYS

In the mid-1980s, the city of Toledo, Ohio, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority embarked on a plan to alleviate traffic congestion. When completed, the project would significantly improve traffic flow between Interstate 280 - a major link to auto plants in Michigan and other large exporting manufacturers - and the port of Toledo's international cargo docks on Lake Erie.

The project involved widening three roads and constructing two overpasses to eliminate delays caused by train crossings and inadequate traffic lanes. One of the roads - Front Street - was to be widened to four lanes with an overpass built to span the tracks of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The work was to be done in an area where significant industrial activity had taken place since the early 1800s, including iron and steel manufacturing, a network of railways, gas storage, rail car maintenance, auto repair, oil refining and a coking operation.

Environmental Hazards Stall Project
Midway through the project, a benzene pit and other hazardous chemicals were discovered at the Front Street expansion site adjacent to one of the former industrial properties. This discovery brought the project to a halt, spurring litigation between the city and the property owner.

Following almost a decade of delay, the Port Authority stepped in as a mediator and assembled a team, including members of Hull & Associates, Inc., now working as Hemisphere Advisors personnel, to shepherd the project from litigation to negotiation. The team derived solutions under Ohio's Voluntary Action Program, which was designed to expedite environmental cleanup and brownfield redevelopment efforts.

Project Resumes with Public and Private Funding
A private party agreed to fund a portion of the cleanup, in an agreement with the city and the Port Authority. The city allocated approximately $3.5 million for the project, the Port Authority contributed $1.1 million, and approximately $4 million was obtained from a state grant for road construction.

The cleanup plan devised by members of Hemisphere Advisors integrated environmental issues with redevelopment of the site, saving substantial costs while meeting stringent environmental standards. Hemisphere team members also saved valuable time by encouraging early state involvement in getting the project under way again. Key regulators were brought on board early in the process and briefed throughout the project.

Surrounding Area Benefits
Part of the solution was to obtain an areawide Urban Setting Designation encompassing several thousand acres in the city of Toledo and a neighboring community. This designation is granted to projects where no one is likely to use groundwater from the site for drinking, showering, bathing or cooking. As a result, significant time and cost savings were achieved in addressing groundwater contamination. Although the areawide Urban Setting Designation initially benefited the Front Street project, many other brownfield properties nearby were soon identified, and the area was expanded to promote cleanup of those sites as well.