Underground Storage Tanks Move Out, Redevelopment Potential Moves In for Josephine County and Grants Pass

Every so often, a project comes along that illustrates exactly what MFA’s Founder, Jim Maul meant when he said, “One of my biggest joys as a consultant is when we nail a problem in a way that is exactly right for our client and the environment. When the result solves a problem and provides a benefit for an entire community, it couldn’t get any better.”

Such is the story of our ongoing work with Josephine County to clean up the site of the former Josephine County Memorial Hospital in Grants Pass, Oregon. Vacant since 2000, the property had deteriorated over subsequent years due to lack of County resources for maintenance. MFA ‘s work with the County began in 2013 with Integrated Planning and Technical Assistance Grants from Business Oregon and continued through leading all aspects of abatement and demolition of the 60,000 square foot, 5-story Dimmick Tower in 2015. The story continues this Spring with our ongoing work to address the last remaining environmental barriers to redevelopment.

These recent photos show our latest work at the Dimmick Tower site, which included the removal of some unexpectedly large underground storage tanks. This phase continues our work to remove the threat of hazardous and toxic contamination while assisting the County with preparing the land for potential developers.

The continuing story of MFA’s work with Josephine County to clean up the former Josephine County Memorial Hospital site illustrates the power of returning contaminated sites to productive use. With MFA’s assistance, the County was able to create a start-to-finish plan for funding, demolition and transacting property that was paid for with grants and low interest loans from Business Oregon and the EPA.