East TN Success Stories

Former Post Office (La Follette, TN)

The former U.S. Post Office in La Follette, Tennessee was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in ca. 1936 and functioned as a post office until 2008. In 2013, the city purchased the historic building at auction. Before this brownfield was transformed into a community asset, Campbell County completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), Lead-Based Paint (LBP) Survey, Asbestos Survey, and Analysis for Brownfields Cleanup alternatives (ABCA) on the 6,760 square foot building using their EPA 104(k) Brownfields Assessment Grant. This project involved an incredible amount of leveraging. Download more information on the Former Post Office

The former Lupton City Mill property in Chattanooga, Tennessee was previously a textile mill constructed ca. 1923 and continued operating until ca. 2009 manufacturing cotton hosiery. After the mill closed, a purchaser bought the site for the purpose of salvaging materials from the industrial buildings. The demolition and salvage operations began in 2012, stripping the site of any valuable materials and leaving an ugly debris field and environmental hazards, including asbestos, throughout the 12-acre property. The nearby residents faced a reality of residual contamination and a huge community eyesore. Download more information on the Lupton City Mill
TDEC featured this success story as part of its 2021 Earth Day celebrations. View the Lupton City Mill video on YouTube

Until 1979, a one-acre lot in Campbell County, Tennessee was a strip mine site managed by the Diamond Mine Company. It was one of several strip mines in Campbell County over the years. After the mine’s closure, local community members saw potential in the land as a worthwhile redevelopment investment. With the help of the Clearfork Community Institute, the Woodland Community, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding, the community was able to redevelop the land. Project and community leaders decided to use the land for the production of several crops (broccoli, kale, hot-peppers, and asparagus rhizomes) through a field hydroponic system. Download more information on UT Hydroponics

Cavalier is one of the oldest industrial sites in Chattanooga. Products made at this site included lumber, furniture, wooden iceboxes, and refrigerated vending machines for soft drinks and other beverages. The property was purchased by Southeast Local Development Corporation (SLDC) in 1996 for redevelopment, where renovation and remediation of the site in 1996. The site was subsequently sold to the Electric Power Board, which conducted additional soil remedial and redevelopment activities under a Brownfield Agreement with the Division of Remediation. As a direct result of the work done by EPB and Bright Bridge, improvements were also expanded into the nearby community by purchasing and tearing down surrounding dilapidated housing. Download more information on Cavalier

On 24 acres of land once owned by the Chattanooga Coke and Chemical Company, coke, aromatic solvents, oils, and coal tar were produced from 1918 to 1987. The coke produced at the company was a highly carbonated fuel, with few impurities, used to make metals in iron ore smelting. Coke was also produced to be used as fuel in stoves. After over a decade of negotiations and work, the Chattanooga Coke and Chemical facility has undergone remediation. The site is currently an environmentally friendly automotive parts salvage operation. Vehicles received by LKQ are drained of all fluids upon delivery and recycled approximately three months after arriving at the site. Download more information on the Former Coke and Chemical

The Suttree Landing property was previously home to a bulk oil storage facility, a textile dying operation, and an engine parts manufacturer from the 1940s until 2004 in Knoxville, TN. With the oversight from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Remediation, the City of Knoxville was able to transform portions of 12 properties into an award-winning park. Download additional information on Suttree Landing

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Division of Remediation (DoR) is utilizing US EPA 128(a) Brownfields funding to provide technical assistance and oversight on the City of Chattanooga’s North St. Elmo Drainage Improvement Project. Since the 800’s, foundry operations were very active in Chattanooga. As a result, many brownfields re-use projects encounter foundry sand. The Division of Remediation worked with the City to address contaminated soils in this large infrastructure project. Download additional information on the North St. Elmo Drainage Project

Flooding in the historic downtown district of Johnson City, Tennessee was identified as a major barrier to reinvestment and redevelopment. The former Young’s Warehouse property was identified in as property which could be used to provide relief for flooding. Historic uses of the property included a former gas station, tire retreading facility, bulk petroleum storage, and a drycleaner. The City worked in collaboration with the Division of Remediation to develop a plan to address contaminated soils, left by previous industrial uses, to transform this property into public greenspace. Download additional information for the Former Young's Warehouse

The Baptist Hospital Complex along the banks of the Tennessee River, just south of downtown Knoxville, was in operation for over 50 years. Since 2008, the property has sat vacant. Through an EPA 104(k) Brownfields Assessment grant awarded to the City of Knoxville, Phase I and II environmental assessments were done and environmental impacts were identified. These environmental assessments were critical to it's redevelopment. Download additional information on the Former Baptist Hospital

The 19.4-acre vacant Brookside Mills site in Knox County, Tennessee started its industrial life in 1885 when it was a textile mill and at its peak employed about 1,000 people. The redevelopment of this former brownfield has supported the county’s focus on encouraging new and expanding businesses to locate near the urban core in economically-distressed areas. Phase I and II environmental assessments were completed on the Brookside Mills site using funding from an EPA 104(k) Brownfields Assessment grant. Download additional information on Brookside Mills