United Hospital Brownfield Site Cleanup to Begin
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) announced on Wednesday that site remediation will begin at the former United Hospital Site. Just over the Rye line in Port Chester across from the Whole Foods, the owners are planning a major mixed use development plan for the 12 acre site.
The work will be performed by Boston Post Rd Owner LLC and BR RA Port Chester LLC, LLCs representing the developers Rose Associates and BedRock Real Estate Partners, along with oversight by the NYSDEC. Site clean-up of the brownfield site will begin this month and is expected to run for 20 months.
Key components of the remediation activity include:
- Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils ranging from approximately 2 to 11 feet below surface grade;
- Removal of any underground storage tanks, leaching pools, storm drains, floor drains, piping, etc.;
- Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils associated with petroleum underground storage tanks or associated piping;
- Groundwater treatment using in-situ (i.e. in place) placement of activated carbon;
- Collecting and analyzing post-remedial soil and groundwater samples to evaluate the effectiveness of the remedy;
- Installation of a site cover, including a demarcation layer, over areas that do not achieve Unrestricted Use Soil Cleanup Objectives (SCOs) to address remaining contamination; and
- Reuse on-site soils, concrete, and import of material meeting the established Restricted Residential SCOs for those areas that need backfill or cover material.
After the work is completed a final engineering report will be submitted to the NYSDEC for approval. The owners would be eligible for tax credits to offset “the costs of performing cleanup activities and for redevelopment of the site”.
Still known as the United Hospital site, hospital operations began at the property in 1915 and ceased in 2004. The site is planned for redevelopment as a multi-use residential/commercial development and includes the construction of four multi-story residential buildings and a multi-story assisted living facility with commercial and retail spaces, a hotel, green spaces, internal roadways, and above- and sub-grade parking.
New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) encourages the voluntary cleanup of contaminated properties known as “brownfields” so that they can be reused and redeveloped. These uses include recreation, housing, business or other uses.
