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Attachment A1
Application Summary Document
TriMark SS Kemp Expansion Project

1.         Goal of the brownfield project
a.  Economic Benefit

TriMark SS Kemp, founded in 1926, has established itself not only as a leading distributor of commercial foodservice supplies and equipment, but also as one of the foremost design consultants in the foodservice field.  Located at 4567 Willow Parkway in the Village of Cuyahoga Heights, TriMark SS Kemp’s current operations are located immediately adjacent to the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF) site, at 4582 Willow Parkway (the “CORF project site” or “the Property”).  Due to continued growth of its business, TriMark SS Kemp needs additional warehouse and office space, which makes the adjacent, under-utilized CORF project site an ideal location for its expansion.  TriMark SS Kemp employs 133 people at its current facility.  If the CORF project is funded, Premier Development, LLC will demolish the outdated, under-sized buildings on the CORF project site and construct a new 88,000 square foot warehouse/office building, which TriMark SS Kemp has committed to lease for ten years, with the option to renew for an additional ten years.  TriMark SS Kemp has also committed to retaining the existing 133 employees and adding an additional 41 jobs on the CORF project site, with an average wage of at least $15.40 per hour.  The total cost of the CORF project is $2,012,000.  The total cost of the construction of the new facilities for TriMark SS Kemp is estimated at $3,520,000. The construction of the new warehouse/office building is expected to annually provide $52,300 in property taxes and the 41 new jobs are expected to generate $27,000 in income taxes.

b.  Community Benefit 

The Village of Cuyahoga Heights is a heavily industrialized suburb of Cleveland located just six miles south of downtown Cleveland on Interstate 77. The Village covers 3.5 square miles and is home to approximately 600 residents. While its size and residential population are relatively small, the Village is home to a large number of businesses, including many of the region’s largest manufacturing operations.  Payroll taxes collected from those who work in Cuyahoga Heights is the primary source of operating revenue for the Village and because many of the businesses in the Village have experienced heavy layoffs during the economic downturn, the Village’s operating budget has decreased by approximately 30%, a decline of over $6 million from pre-recession levels.  As a result, the Village has been forced to take extreme cost cutting measures.  For example, the fire department’s budget was reduced by 25% and the Village was forced to lay-off two-thirds of its firefighters. Although several firefighters have been returned to duty through a grant from the US Department of Homeland Security, this is only a temporary fix. 

TriMark SS Kemp represents approximately 10% of the remaining income tax base for the Village.  If the CORF Project is not funded, TriMark SS Kemp will be unable to expand onto the adjacent Property and will be forced to move to a larger facility outside of the Village, if not outside of Ohio.  This will result in the need for further cuts in Village services, which have a significant impact on all aspects of the community, especially the Village’s more senior residents, which represent 27% of the total population, which is 50% higher than the average in Cuyahoga County.

The Village’s strategic plan has recognized the need to remediate and redevelop its brownfield sites in order to be able to retain and attract business.  The TriMark SS Kemp expansion project is an important part of the implementation of this strategic plan that will not be realized without the CORF grant.

  • Other Funding Sources
    The Development Partner, Premier Development Partners, LLC has committed to providing up to $500,000 in matching funds for the completion of the CORF Project.  Cuyahoga County has expressed interest in providing a $500,000 forgivable loan for the TriMark SS Kemp Expansion Project, which would be used as an alternate source of matching funds for the Project.  Cuyahoga County has already provided $41,500 in assessment funds, which were used to update the Phase I, complete additional Phase II sampling and complete an asbestos survey of the buildings on the CORF project site.  The current owner of the Property, UNIVAR USA, Inc. over the last five years has expended more than $273,933 for assessment and remediation of soil contamination discovered in 2002. 

2.  History of the CORF Project Property
The Property consists of 3.08 acres of land occupying a single parcel with the street address of 4582 Willow Parkway, Cuyahoga Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The Property was first developed for commercial/industrial purposes in 1967, with a commercial building, a parking area and a rail spur, and was occupied by United Vinters, which fermented wine and operated as a wine and beer distributor there until 1978.  From 1978 to 1985, the Property was leased to Van Waters & Rogers, a wholesale distributor and blender of industrial chemicals, primarily chlorinated solvents.  Subsequent tenants of the Property have included the F.B. Wright Company of Ohio, a rubber products distributor (1986 to 1992) and Stanek Windows, a replacement window fabricator (1993 to 2001).  A building addition (essentially a pole barn warehouse) was constructed in 2002.  This warehouse was utilized by Buckeye Crane for the storage of equipment from 2002 to 2006. 

UNIVAR USA, Inc., the successor to Van Waters & Rogers, acquired the Property from the original developer in 2006.  UNIVAR USA, Inc. installed a Soil Vapor Extraction (“SVE”) system as a remedial measure in approximately 2007, and leased the Property for use as dead storage of materials by Associated Global Systems, Inc., a telecommunications operation.

Aside from its current use for storage, the Property has been vacant for many years, and its remediation and return to productive use have been a priority for the Village.  In 2006, TriMark SS Kemp looked at the Property in order to expand, but was unwilling to move onto it until it had been remediated.  In September 2011, TriMark SS Kemp approached the Village to see if it would be willing to apply for a CORF grant in order to complete the remediation of the Property and provide for the expansion discussed above.   

3.  Environmental Improvements and Benefits
a.  Clean-up Benefits:
Phase II Property Assessment activities conducted between 2002 and 2012 in accordance with Ohio’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP) have documented that various constituents of concern (COCs), primarily volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are present in soil and groundwater that exceed VAP applicable standards.  The soils on the Property exceed VAP applicable generic direct contact standards for both commercial/industrial land use (within the 0-2 foot point of compliance interval) and future construction/excavation activities (point of compliance interval equal to 10 feet below ground surface).  In addition, the VOCs in soil pose a vapor intrusion risk based upon screening values derived in accordance with the Ohio EPA’s guidance document for vapor intrusion.  Finally, groundwater beneath the Property contains concentrations of COCs in excess of VAP Generic Unrestricted Potable Use Standards (GUPUS) or Risk-Derived GUPUS (RDGUPUS). 

Implementation of the CORF Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is expected to result in the following:

  • Removal and off-site disposal of those soils that contain concentrations of COCs that exceed VAP applicable standards for soil direct contact for both commercial/industrial land use and future construction/excavation activities;
  • Removal and off-site disposal of those soils that contain concentrations of COCs that pose a vapor intrusion risk;
  • Restriction on the use of groundwater in the uppermost saturated zone to prevent exposure to COCs;  
  • Confirmation that soil corrective action activities have reduced the concentrations of COCs in soil to levels that do not exceed VAP soil direct contact risk levels;
  • Confirmation that soil corrective action activities have reduced the concentrations of VOCs in soil to levels that do not exceed VAP vapor intrusion risk levels;
  • A VAP No Further Action (NFA) Letter from a Certified Professional; and
  • Submittal of the VAP NFA Letter to Ohio EPA for issuance of a Covenant Not to Sue.

The proposed remedial activities are intended to address all affected environmental media and pathways necessary to achieve compliance with applicable standards under the VAP, which will ensure that the Property is safe for redevelopment for future commercial and/or industrial use by the public and protective of the environment.

b.  Sustainability:
Steel and other metals will be salvaged and recycled as part of the demolition of the existing buildings on the Property.   During the remediation of the Property and construction of the new warehouse/office building, a storm water pollution prevention plan will be implemented in order to minimize the potential run-off of sediment or other pollutants from the Property.

TriMark SS Kemp has committed to purchasing “green” power for its operations in the new warehouse/office building that will be constructed on the Property.   

4.  Project Readiness to Proceed

An affiliated entity of the Development Partner, 4582 Willow Parkway, LLC, is in contract to acquire the Property from UNIVAR USA, Inc. for $1.00, contingent on the award of the CORF grant.  The current tenant at the Property is on a month-to-month lease and will be required to vacate the premises prior to the transfer of the Property. All necessary matching funds are in place and the Development Partner has a commitment for the financing necessary to construct the new facility for TriMark SS Kemp, which is hoping to occupy its new warehouse/office building in October of 2013.

The Village of Cuyahoga Heights and another affiliated entity of the Development Partner, Grant Realty Ltd., are currently working together on the Grant Avenue Redevelopment Project, which was awarded a $3 million CORF grant in May of 2010.  The experience derived from this project will enhance the ability of the development team to timely complete the TriMark SS Kemp Expansion Project.