Town of Cicero-New Inclusive Park Brownfield Redevelopment

Specialty Consulting, Inc. (SPC) embarked on a significant project in partnership with the Town of Cicero to create an inclusive recreational park for the community's youth. Situated just seven miles west of the Chicago Loop, Cicero boasts a population of 85,268 and is the 11th largest municipality in Illinois.

The project began with Cicero securing a grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop and construct the park, leveraging approximately seven parcels of open, unimproved space owned by the town. SPC was enlisted to provide comprehensive environmental consulting services, including assessing potential chemicals of concern and the geological and hydrogeological setting to determine contaminant migration pathways.

One of the unique challenges faced by SPC was ensuring compliance with stringent environmental regulations, including under the Brownfields Program while aligning with HUD's requirements for project approval. To address this, SPC is currently finalizing the Environmental Assessment for submission through HUD's online system, HEROS.

Furthermore, SPC is actively involved in evaluating potential parcels for redevelopment, collaborating closely with Cicero officials and project architects to identify the most environmentally favorable site. Once the development site is selected, SPC will lead the planning and execution of environmental investigations to support redevelopment planning and secure site closure through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's (IEPA) Site Remediation Program.