Chicago, Illinois

The Focal Point Community Campus, located at the Little Village neighborhood, designed by HDR, envisioned by St. Anthony Hospital and being developed by the Chicago Southwest Development Corporation is a 32 acre mixed-use urban development anchored by a hospital and augmented by educational spaces, apartments, retail stores, parking spaces, park and recreational center thus linking the hospital with the community. The originally $600 million project is situated on a heavily trafficked industrial corridor. GSG has been providing environmental assessment services since 2013 for land acquisition purposes. Based on the findings of multiple Phase I ESAs conducted by GSG, multiple Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) were performed to assess the presence of subsurface contamination due to historical property uses and their potential impact on the planned construction.

GSG advanced soil borings over several property parcels and collected surface and subsurface soil and ground water samples. Geophysical surveys were also performed to determine the location of potential existing USTs at each of the property parcels. The analytical results were compared to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives (TACO), Remediation Objectives.
The Phase II ESAs summarized site investigation activities and provided recommendations regarding the site regulatory conditions and soil handling and management during construction activities. Our estimation of remediation costs and summary of necessary steps to bring the parcel into compliance provided the involved parties with a comprehensive overview of environmental liabilities and issues, thereby assisting in the property’s development.

GSG also prepared soil management plans based on the results of the site investigations. Illustrating the vertical and horizontal extent of each type of waste stream at the site and providing requirements for soil handling and management.