NOTE: Please read the original article at Building On Brownfields.

From storing grain to fostering growth, Historic silos take on new mission in Idaho

When you look at a grain silo, what do you see?

Do you see restaurants? Condos? A winery? How about a gallery or performance center, or maybe even a college research laboratory?

John and Miranda Anderson of the Anderson Group in Moscow, Idaho, see this and more. They see a chance to turn a 1-acre property at the heart of the town into a redevelopment that will foster economic growth, environmental stewardship and a celebration of the region’s agricultural roots.

The Anderson Group last year bought a concrete and steel grain mill–called the Jackson Street Silos–that links the community’s downtown to the University of Idaho campus. Since buying the property, the group has moved quickly, including applying to and being accepted by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Community Reinvestment Pilot Initiative. A Phase II assessment has been completed and cleanup should be done by early fall.

The Anderson Group has charged forward on the project in part because John and Miranda Anderson have the educational and professional background that partner well with brownfields redevelopment. Both are architects and instructors at the University of Idaho, and the couple shares a love for sustainability and adaptive reuse. Miranda is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified.

On top of their experience, the Andersons have surrounded themselves with knowledgeable, passionate people on the state and local levels. The community has shown an outpouring of support for the project, as well.

“I don’t think we would be nearly as aggressive if we didn’t have the support,” John says.

The Anderson Group’s purchasing of the property last year came none too soon. The silos were slated for demolition. In fact, John called the previous owner to express his interest in the property just as the owner was leaving to get the crane to tear the structures down.

The couple was drawn to the agricultural buildings’ historical significance. When you tear down these structures, you’re tearing down a sense of place, a sense of identity, Anderson explains.

The property, developed as a grain elevator and silo complex since 1904, includes nine silos and a main structure. The tallest structure stands at 113 feet high, while most of the silos are 95 feet tall. It’s been vacant since 2005.

While grain was never treated at the site, surface soil was found in areas to be impacted by historical contaminants, including DDT, arsenic, lead and mercury. Groundwater also was impacted in the wells at the property’s northwest and southeast corners. And the portion of the nearby abandoned rail-line contains coal-based contaminants in the surface soils, according to the brownfield assessment request submitted to DEQ.

Cleanup will be completed by the fall at a cost of about $200,000, with most of that money to be reimbursed by DEQ’s reinvestment pilot initiative.

The proposed project is a mixed-use development utilizing LEED and smart growth principles. Many people have already expressed an interest in the buildings, John says. Planned occupants include a dining and conference space, residential lofts, and retail and commercial office space. Other possibilities are a winery, a farmers market and space for the university. John expects to see the first phase of development completed by 2010 and the property fully developed by 2014.

For Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney, the momentum behind this project is exciting. Chaney envisions a cutting-edge redevelopment that strengthens the partnership between the city and university while giving the community a catalyst for redevelopment in its urban renewal area. The Andersons’ passion and commitment to sustainable reuse is inspiring to others, she adds. They have taught us that “we have to dream big in order for change to occur.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 3:07 pm and is filed under ●Brownfields Success Stories, ●Environmental Agencies.

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