City receiving $600,000 from EPA for midtown cleanup

The city is receiving a total of $600,000 to clean up contamination at three properties it bought for redevelopment in midtown.

The money from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will go to clean up the former Gro Mor property, 307 S. Evers St.; Hydraulic Hose/JWH-Telco property, 617 and 619 S. Evers St.; and Stock Lumber property, 415 and 508-511 S. Collins St. The grant will pay for $200,000 worth of clean-up at each site.

The city bought the property as part of its effort to spur redevelopment in midtown, an 85-acre mostly commercial area south of downtown. The city is seeking a developer to transform the area with quaint shops, homes and more.

EPA announced June 6 that it was awarding a total of $7 million in 10 Florida communities including Plant City, for so called brownfield areas, where contamination is detected or suspected.

City Manager Greg Horwedel told city commissioners at a June 13 meeting that he was "absolutely thrilled" that the city's Redevelopment Agency would be receiving the money from the federal agency.

Horwedel credited the "fine work our Community Service Director Jim McDaniel," in obtaining the EPA grants and other money for the midtown clean-up.

The three sites contain hazardous substances and petroleum-based contaminants, Horwedel said.