Marion Pearl Mixed-Use Redevelopment

Location

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

 

Client

City of Oshkosh – Department of Community Development

 

Services Provided

Asbestos inspection and abatement

Brownfields grant application writing

Building demolition plans/specifications

Certified survey map preparation

Civil design – street and utility improvements

Construction oversight

Corrective action plans and specifications

Environmental assessment

Environmental liability exemption application

Focused risk assessment

Geotechnical engineering

Regulatory department negotiation

Remedial planning

Structural engineering

 

Project Overview

The City of Oshkosh (City) retained STS to provide engineering and environmental consulting services to facilitate redevelopment of a 30-acre site along the Fox River. Historically, the area operated as a foundry and wood products manufacturing facility. With elevated concentrations of metals and competing natural and miscellaneous fills, the site was a brownfield, which impeded redevelopment efforts. Ultimately, the City wished to create a mixed-use residential, commercial and retail area between the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and downtown.

 

Approach

The successful redevelopment of the brownfield properties required a combination of environmental, engineering, economic, legal and political solutions. The redevelopment was a coordinated effort between the City, the site developer and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). STS was an integral component of this team, providing engineering and environmental services, preparation of demolition plans and specifications, civil infrastructure design, geotechnical evaluation of soils and structural design of a retaining wall. The new right-of-way and land use necessitated significant redesign of the existing water main, sanitary and storm sewers. STS also provided environmental and engineering consulting services along with construction and post-remediation documentation, to allow environmental remediation to occur concurrent with site development.

 

Client Benefits

• STS assisted the City with securing grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, WDNR and Wisconsin Department of Commerce saving the city more than $600,000.
• STS integrated remediation planning with accelerated construction schedules, resulting in cost savings for the City and the developer.
• STS completed demolition to limit the volume of solid waste by salvaging much of the wood flooring, beams, timbers and brick. Concrete floor slabs, foundations and concrete block were crushed on-site to generate more than 50,000 tons of aggregate, which was reused as subgrade material and utility backfill.