Local consulting firm achieves
Family Environmental shared in a historic moment on the morning of September 24th, 2009.
Joined by city officials, Kingston Environmental, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and various media personnel, Family Environmental took part in a groundbreaking ceremony where golden sledgehammers were used to signify a new era of clean up and green building in
Contracted by the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Capital Improvements Management Office (CIMO), to be the Design Professional for abatement and demolition activities at the former Greyhound Bus Depot in downtown’s East Village Redevelopment area, Family Environmental had the honor of overseeing the city’s first “green” project of this nature.
That honor came with the great privilege of uniting with city officials to unveil the “green” project to the rest of the city.
Family Environmental was contracted by CIMO to oversee several projects in the East Village Redevelopment area located in downtown’s blighted Eastside.
The area has been on the decline since the 1950s and is considered an eyesore by Mayor Mark Funkhouser, who must withstand its presence every time he looks out of his office window.
“Today, my wish came true,” Mayor Funkhouser to
ld local news channel, KCTV5, regarding the demolition of the former bus depot.
Prior projects in the East Village Redevelopment area included asbestos inspections, environmental assessments, design specifications and abatement/demolition oversight for both the Cherry Street Inn, former ReStart building and the former Fire Brigade Museum. However, the former Greyhound Bus Depot has been more of a landmark redevelop
ment project for the city; it is the first time the city has required that at least 90 percent of the building materials (i.e. concrete, CMU block, asphalt, and brick) be recycled and reused as engineered fill at the site.
Wayne Cauthen, City Manager, spoke at the ceremony and stated that this is the city’s first major sustainable redevelopment project and many city projects of this nature will follow suit.
Family Environmental has assisted the city and the EPA in redeveloping the
The EPA’s Brownfields grant program selected the bus depot site due to its long-time vacancy and contamination with arsenic, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOC/SVOC), and asbestos containing materials.
Martha Cuppy, Acting Deputy Regional Administrator of the EP
A Region 7, stated the Brownfields program aims to continue to reduce vacant buildings and blight in
The former Greyhound Bus Depot received funding through bonds and a clean up grant for $200,000 from the Brownfields program under the Recovery Act.
"Protecting our health and environment is a great way to build our economy"-Martha Cuppy, EPA.
Before Mayor Funkhouser,
City Manager Wayne Cauthen and other city representatives swung their golden hammers to break ground for demolition, Cuppy congratulated the city on its success and Cauthen made a few closing remarks.
“This event signified a very small part of the puzzle,” Cauthen said. But it’s a large part as well by allowing investment to occur, he said.
“This will bring a lot of stimulus to our downtown economy,” Cauthen added.
Mayor Funkhouser noted that the recycling of building materials is “another step toward making
Family Environmental is proud to be apart of the ongoing effort to redevelop and revitalize the downtown
