Cleanup of Packard Electric site for reuse to cost about $2.6M

WARREN

An Akron company, Brownfield Restoration Group, collected and analyzed about 300 samples of soil, groundwater and vapor at the former Packard Electric site on Dana Street and found “pockets of issues” that will cost about $2.6 million to clean up.

Jim C. Smith, president of BRG, on Wednesday explained the sampling and options the property owner can consider before deciding what to do about the contamination.

He gave the presentation to the Western Reserve Port Authority at its regular monthly meeting at the Covelli Enterprises offices.

The port authority is fronting the $200,000 cost for the assessment, known as a Phase 2, as a way to help Christopher Alan, owner of Auto Parkit, determine whether to move forward with his plans to use the facilities for administrative and manufacturing for his automated-parking-system company.

Alan, a Warren native, has stated his commitment to bringing the Los-Angeles-based company to his home town but has said he also has a backup Mahoning Valley location in case the Packard site cannot be used.

The state economic-development organization JobsOhio will reimburse the port authority the cost of the assessment and is likely to provide some of the money to carry out the cleanup, said Anthony Trevena, director of the port authority’s economic-development arm – Northeast Ohio Development and Finance Authority.

Read more about the situation in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.