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WEST POINT INDUSTRIAL PARK
The West Point Industrial Parks primary goal was to convert U.S. EPs 2000th Superfund site into aesthetically pleasing industrial space. Before work began in January 2001, West Point was a 165-acre tract of undeveloped contaminated land. While the landscaping of West Point is, at first glance, the most obvious improvement, many underlying infrastructure improvements are just as significant. These include wetland mitigation, pipeline re-routing and complete clean-up and debris removal of the IF&A property. Through extensive land remediation, the HUEA hoped to attract new business, increase employment opportunities for Hammond residents, provide onsite wetland restoration, and beautify the neighborhood.
To improve Hammond's tax base it was vital for the West Point project to encourage new business and employment. During redevelopment, the HUEA and its partners aggressively marketed the land as an industrial park. The site attracted Central Transport, Federal Express Ground, and Hulcher Services. It is located a quarter mile from Interstate 80 near the Indiana/Illinois border and CSX Transportation railroad tracks. Though the economic incentives attracted the companies, each company worked with the HUEA and community groups to ensure their business practices benefited the local economy and the community.
West Point utilized public and private incentives to convert vacant contaminated land into attractive industrial property. Extensive remediation reversed decades of environmental degradation, which attracted businesses to vacant land, created jobs, restored wetlands, and augmented the tax base. Moreover, the remediation protects residents from an environmental hazard while restoring wetlands previously affected by hazardous waste.