West Side of Boardman Lake Projects

Site History
This redevelopment project is located along the west shore of Boardman Lake between 12th and 16th Street and contains approximately 13.59 acres. This property is an irregular-shaped parcel of land bounded by vacant land and a railroad (right of way) ROW to the north, Boardman Lake to the east, additional vacant land and railroad ROW to the south, and to the west by industrial concerns and railroad ROW owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation to the west.

Redevelopment
Based on review of historical documents including historical atlas maps, this property had been utilized for railroad purposes since at least 1904 through 1982. Additional occupants have included an ice house, an asphalt batch plant, a vehicle fueling area and a bulk fuel storage area. Contaminants present included industrial waste lagoon leachate emanating from the Cone Drive facility, uphill from the subject property. The petroleum-based sludge presented itself in seeps along the shoreline and was present in shallow excavations, such as those for building footings. Surface contamination from stored petroleum and from asphalt plant operations was pervasive. Railroad track ballast containing heavy metals contamination was present and copper arsenic and creosote from railroad tie debris was also of concern throughout the property.
Crews removing 2,210 tons of contaminated soil from the bottom of the lake
Lake-Ridge-Condos-web
Project Success
Thanks to the Brownfield plan for this property in 2000, residential redevelopment of the west bank of Boardman Lake has commenced to displace the old, unsustainable industrial land uses. The plan brought attention to the liability of Cone Drive for impacts which the state compelled them to remedy. The plan also provided funding to address the due care obligations needed to design a land reuse plan that adequately removed health risks resulting from petroleum and heavy metals contamination. The residential reuse is significant and most recently the Brownfield plan helped foster improvements in connectivity by financially supporting the extension of the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation (TART) Trail along the west side of Boardman Lake. This financial support also manifests itself in funding for the City of Traverse City's West Boardman Avenue project which will calm traffic through the historic Old Town neighborhood.