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Dec 27, 2023

Waterloo receives EPA grant to help clean up, revitalize old Rath Packing building

WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) - For years, Waterloo was known as "factory city." The

WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) - For years, Waterloo was known as "factory city." The centerpiece and heart of it was The Rath Packing Company. Today, the nearly 100 year old brick administration building on Sycamore Street is still standing.

The meatpacking plant was in operation from 1908 to 1985. During the 1940's and 1950's, it was one of the largest employers in the State of Iowa.

For more than 30 years, the building has been sitting unused. Many of the windows are boarded up, no trespassing signs are posted, and inside there is visible rust and water damage.

The city is hoping to give the nearly 100 year old building new life. On Thursday, The Environmental Protection Agency presented the City of Waterloo a $642,400 check clean up contamination from toxic metals, PCBs asbestos and other contaminants on the Former Rath Site to allow it to be redeveloped.

"This site is full of potential," EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister said. "It's 4.4 acres and a prime location for sustainable industrial development and has access to the main road. There's plenty of internet and electrical connectivity in this area."

The site is what is known as a brownfield, properties whose reuse is complicated by the presence or possible presence of hazardous materials.

They could be things like a former gas station with concerns about fuel leaking and contaminating groundwater an old dry cleaner where there are questions about potential impacts from solvent releases. Concerns about these sites often hinder property redevelopment.

"Brownfield sites are locations where their environmental reputation is that they're dirty, dingy or tarnished a little bit like the color brown," Brownfield Redevelopment Program Coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Mel Pins said. "It can be easier to look at investing and developing other sites, thus leaving these sites to sit in further decline."

The funding comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which set aside $1.5 billion for brownfields throughout the United States. McCollister said this is single largest investment in brownfields infrastructure effort, and the EPA has more than tripled total funding for brownfields for fiscal year 2023.

Waterloo city leaders said it is not only about transforming the site, but helping with the overall vibrancy of the historic Rath neighborhood. The city has been working to redevelop the area for the past several years.

"It's about building up the community. It's about transforming these former sites that have been left empty into something that provides opportunity, that provides jobs and provides a reinvigoration of the entire community," Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart said.

The former Rath site is now home to the Department of Correctional Services, Operation Threshold, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and Crystal Cold Storage, which on Thursday cut the ribbon on a brand new 100,000 square foot refrigerated facility. It is a $21 million state of the art cold storage warehouse, which allows them to operate the facility on one level.

"We're really looking forward to future growth opportunities and job creation on this site," Crystal Cold President Tom Poe said.

Community Planning and Development Director Noel Anderson said they are looking to turn it the former Rath site into something new while preserving the old.

He said investors from Denver want to turn the old meat packing building into a housing development for seniors with 90 units.

"We'd be looking at rehabilitating it to historic standards," Anderson said. "It would look very similar and just have new windows and new residents in there."

If the project does not move forward within six to eight months, Anderson said they would look into demolishing the building.

McCollister said communities across the United States have received more than $34 billion and cleanup and redevelopment grants. She said redeveloped brownfield sites have positive impacts on nearby residential properties, which can see a 15% increase in value after redevelopment.

Reporter