EPA grant could remove asbestos, lead paint from old Palm Beach building
Nov. 16—Brenda Russell says plans are underway to get the old Palm Beach building in shape to house a new community service center. But first, some clean up is needed in the form of removing led paint and asbestos.
Russell, the executive director of God's Food Pantry, held an open forum Monday night at the Energy Center in preparation of applying for an EPA grant that will help them remove hazardous building materials.
"We know we have significant amounts of lead-based paint and a significant amount of asbestos in the building," Russell said. To remove those, the nonprofit organization needs to remove pipes and windows, the latter of which has both dangerous material in it.
"We are thankful that the roof does not have any asbestos except for the flashings on it," she said.
The forum was a requirement in order to apply for an EPA Brownfield Grant. That grant, if approved, would be just shy of $1 million and would fully fund the removal of the paint and asbestos, Russell said.
The grant would not be reviewed and awarded until spring of next year. If approved, the organization would have six months to start the project.
"We have four years to spend the grant funds, but I don't let grass grow under my feet," Russell said. "We would hope that within a year and a half to two years we would have that building completely ready for renovations."
No further renovations can begin until the asbestos and lead paint are removed "safely and legally," Russell said.
Until the removal of those toxic substances begins, the building is safe to walk around in, but once that project begins no further work can be done until it's completed.
That EPA grant will only go towards work on removing those environmental hazards. Russell said that beyond that, the nonprofit has around half of the funding lined up in the form of grants to fully renovate the building. They will be looking at other funding, such as sponsorship programs, to raise the rest.
The plan is to create the OakPointe Center, a community service hub that will cater to the needs of those who are homeless or who need extra assistance.
The Center will include space ideal for multiple agencies, such as God's Food Pantry, medical clinics, a clothing center, counseling services and the like.
Russell envisions it as a place to help break the cycle of generational poverty — a helping hand rather than a hand-out, she said.
The target completion date is 2026.
Once completed, Russell said she expects that continuing expenses and sustainability should come in the form of organizations leasing space.
"It should generate 20,000 to 25000 a month in lease income," she said.
Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com
