By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The city of Warsaw will pay for additional environmental remediation costs on the old Arnolt property where an apartment complex is being constructed.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management informed Real America, the developer of the The 2525 apartment complex east of Argonne road on Durbin Road that more remediation is needed to ensure vapors from previous ground contamination is not reaching an unhealthy level.
The city will provide $40,000 to install a venting system that will be used to monitor radon levels.
The agreement is essentially a good faith effort by the city, which gifted the property to Real American in part in exchange to develop the residential project.
The city also covered the demolition costs for the artnolt property and is providing tax abatement to Real America.
Jeremy Skinner, director of community & economic development, explained what the process entails.
“Part of what this is creating a vent inside this building that takes the air and pushes it out of the building and then allows them to sample that air to make sure it’s meeting the tolerances,” Skinner said.
Skinner said Real America was alerted to the concern by IDEM Feb. 1 and asked the city to assist. The total cost of the new remediation and monitoring effort is expected to be around $90,000.
Real America, which has invested more than $10 million into the project, asked the city for financial support.
Real America is within months of opening the apartments up for occupancy and the additional measures are sought by IDEM before occupancy can begin.
The city and developer have been aware of longstanding environmental concerns and have relied on money from Michiana Area Council of Governments along with state money to assess and remediate the issues.
Skinner said the state is looking into whether nearby property is contributing to the current existence of vapors.
