Norwich – The city has 143 properties identified as potential brownfields sites with environmental contamination, from the partially collapsed Capehart Mill complex in Greeneville to a former downtown auto body shop.

With a $384,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency grant in hand, it’s now up to the city Redevelopment Agency to rank the sites for assessment studies and possible cleanup plans in a way that would bring likely redevelopment successes, said Amy Vaillancourt, project manager for the city’s consulting firm, Tighe & Bond.

The Redevelopment Agency already has ranked the assessment of the former Artform building at the Uncas Leap area as a top priority. The city is working on plans to create a heritage park in the area.

About 20 people, including Redevelopment Agency members, city officials and property owners attended a public forum Monday night to discuss potential sites that could be targeted for environmental assessments.

Vaillancourt projected a map of the city on a screen and zoomed in on the Thames River area. Color coded sites appeared on both banks, including the former Shetucket Iron & Metal scrapyard and adjacent railroad company property on New Wharf Road on the east bank and the Shipping Street area on the west bank.

The Shipping Street area includes more than 15 properties with varying levels of contamination and cleanup. The city has used past environmental grants to study and clean parcels there, including one site considered for a boat launch. That plan fell through, but Mayor Peter Nystrom still hopes to bring the many different property owners there together to discuss possible redevelopment.

Nystrom envisioned a potential new shipyard in the district crossed by freight rail tracks with much of the riverfront land in a flood zone.

Vaillancourt advised city officials to use the limited grant money -- with $185,000 earmarked for sites with potential petroleum contamination and $199,000 to study sites with potentially hazardous substances – for different sized projects. She said the ultimate plan should have short-term successes, some mid-range projects and consideration of properties that could take years to develop.

The grant can be used for phase one initial paperwork assessments to determine past uses of the property and potential contamination, phase two building and ground sample testing to confirm what’s there and phase three environmental cleanup plans with cost estimates. She proposed using the money for 10 phase one studies, six phase two tests and six phase three cleanup plans. Some of the money could be used for property reuse planning and some should be kept in reserve in case a surprise development comes along.

“You want to show some successes,” she said, “not pick one site and use all the money in one spot and then not do anything with the property.”

Norwich received funding in 2012 for a citywide assessment of potential brownfields sites, and that resulted in a list with 133 properties. Many of those sites are on the new expanded list. And some will still rank high on a new list. The inventory is more than a list, she said. It’s an interactive map with color-coded properties highlighted. One click brings up a box with property details and links to digitized past environmental studies.

The Redevelopment Agency has highlighted more than two dozen potential priority sites on the new list of 143 properties, including the Thames River waterfront areas, Hollyhock Island just north of Norwich Harbor, well-known mill sites, properties owned by Norwich Public Utilities and the former 751 Club on the Shetucket River in Greeneville.

Property owners interested in being considered for environmental testing should contact City Planner Deanna Rhodes at (860) 823-3766.

c.bessette@theday.com