SME assisted with the application preparation for the City of Fort Wayne Brownfields Coalition FY2019 US EPA Brownfields Hazardous Substances and Petroleum Coalition Assessment Grant. The grant was designated specifically to support assessment activities at sites with potential hazardous substances and petroleum contamination. The coalition involved the City of Fort Wayne, its Redevelopment Commission, and economic partners, including SME.​ The City of Fort Wayne was awarded $455,625 in federal funds to be utilized to perform assessment of sites with suspected contamination, inventorying and prioritizing locations for possible redevelopment, conduct community outreach and engagement, and for development of strategies for future cleanup or development of assessed properties.

Because of the coalition’s efforts, the awarded grant money helped City of Fort Wayne fund Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA), Phase II ESAs, hazardous material surveys, Remedial Action Plans and/or Human Health, and Ecological Risk Assessments. Completion of environmental assessments, surveys, and plans, supported site cleanup and redevelopment within the Downtown Improvement District in city of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The focus of the grant money was utilized to assess properties along the St. Mary’s River that were formerly used as electronics manufacturing campus (General Electric), bottling plant (Pepsi Bottling Plant), and iron works plant (former Rescue Mission building).

The redevelopment of the former General Electric campus, now known as Electric Works, has transformed this historic industrial site into a vibrant mixed-use district for innovation, culture, dining, and business.

The former Pepsi Bottling Plant property is planned to be redeveloped into the “Treeline District” and include mixed use apartment/retail space and public parking.