Fargo, N.D. (May 25, 2023) – At an event in Fargo, North Dakota, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator John Hoeven and officials from the City of Fargo announced the Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority will receive a $2 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

The EPA grant will be used to clean up the Lashkowitz High Rise property at 101 2nd Street South, which overlooks the Red River in Fargo. The 22-story high-rise is currently vacant and contaminated with asbestos, heavy metals and other inorganic contaminants. The property’s cleanup will make way for its safe reuse as affordable housing.  

“The cleanup and revitalization of the Lashkowitz High Rise exemplifies how EPA Brownfields funds can help communities revive properties and neighborhoods,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to seeing the building cleaned up and safely reused as much-needed affordable housing along the city’s riverfront.”  

“Remediating sites contaminated by hazardous substances and returning them to productive use is a win-win for our communities,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will help create new opportunities at currently unusable locations.” 

The EPA funds are part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites while advancing environmental justice through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant programs. Thanks to the historic boost from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding is the largest ever awarded in the history of the EPA’s Brownfields MARC Grant programs. 

“The Lashkowitz served our community for the past 50+ years,” said Chris Brungardt, Chief Executive Officer of the Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority. “We are excited for the EPA Brownfields Grant to allow us to abate hazardous materials and pave the way for the new 110-unit Lashkowitz Riverfront. The new Lashkowitz will provide direly needed affordable housing to our downtown neighborhoods.”  

The cleanup of the high-rise will complement other EPA-supported cleanup and redevelopment projects the city is targeting for nearby priority sites, including the Mid-American Steel property (and former Fargo Foundry), American Linen Drycleaners, Cretex Concrete Products and other sites of potential concern in the downtown area.   

The EPA funds will enable the Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority to safely remove a large volume of contaminants and hazardous building materials from the building prior to demolition and reuse of the site. Asbestos-containing materials within the high-rise include: ceiling spray, floor tile and mastic, pipe fittings, structural fireproofing spray, sinks and sheetrock joint compound. The cleanup activities will occur on all 22 floors of the building.   

The current building will be demolished and rebuilt as Lashkowitz Riverfront. This project will create affordable rental housing for over 290 people and bring new life and business opportunities to part of the city’s riverfront.  

The grant to the Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority is among three grants totaling $3.5 million EPA is awarding in North Dakota today. Other grantees include: 

Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever begin to address the economic, social and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.  

EPA’s Brownfields Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 84% of the MARC program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include historically underserved communities. 

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. EPA’s investments in addressing brownfield sites have leveraged more than $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully leverage an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar. 

More on Brownfields Grants.   

More on EPA’s Brownfields Program.