Funding for site study connected to possible Goshen Brewing Co. expansion approved

Oct. 25—GOSHEN — A funding request for an environmental site study connected to a possible Goshen Brewing Co. expansion was approved by the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety Monday afternoon.

At the meeting, board members approved a request by the owners of Goshen Brewing Co., 315 W. Washington St., for a $27,750 grant through the city's Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund program needed in order to conduct an environmental site assessment on property located at 409 W. Lincoln Ave.

According to Becky Hutsell, redevelopment project manager for the city, the owners of Goshen Brewing Co. are currently looking at purchasing the 409 W. Lincoln Ave. property as an option for expanding their operations, though further environmental assessment is needed at the site before the purchase agreement can proceed.

"This is the old Goshen Iron and Metal site on the north side, just east of the Elkhart River," Hutsell said of the property. "It's been a vacant lot for a very long time."

Although both Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental site studies have already been completed at the property by the current owner, the discovery of various types of contamination at the site has led the owners of Goshen Brewing Co. to seek further study and documentation, Hutsell explained.

"Goshen Brewing Co. is actually making this request for a grant request to fund the further site investigation," Hutsell told the board. "They do have a purchase agreement for this property to expand their operations. They're not looking to relocate, just to expand. But prior to closing on the property, they want to ensure that what is actually there can be delineated, and that it's feasible with their development plan.

"Limited sampling was done as part of the Phase 2, but what we found was there's just a lot of stuff there," Hutsell added of the contamination. "So, the purpose of this would be to further define it, and have a better idea of how much is there, how far it extends, that type of thing."

Hutsell noted that the owners of Goshen Brewing Co. have been working with Roberts Environmental Services to develop a sampling plan, with the cost for the work quoted at $27,750.

"We do have a brownfield committee that reviews these applications," Hutsell said. "I think in a typical case, we may either do a loan, or another mechanism. But because the deal has not been struck for this yet ... You know, this has been a vacant site for a long time, and Goshen Brewing is still at the point where they're trying to make sure it works. And we would retain this knowledge. We would retain the knowledge of what's there. So, ultimately, I think funding this work gets us to a point of development in the future."

The board's members agreed, and the grant funding request was approved unanimously.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business, board members:

—Approved the promotion of Jared Ellison from the rank of sergeant to the rank of lieutenant with the Goshen Police Department retroactive to Oct. 22.

—Approved a request by Tami Hicks, principal of Model Elementary School, for permission to use public property — either the city's downtown Art Alley or the property surrounding City Hall — in the spring of 2022 to hang strings of community-made flags in the style of Tibetan prayer flags as part of the school's Why You Matter campaign. The approval is subject to city staff confirming a plan with the school.

—Approved a request by Jeffery Weaver, deputy clerk-treasurer for the city, for permission to enter into an agreement with Baker Tilly for bond issuance advisory services connected to the city's 2021 general obligation bonds at a cost of $40,000.

—Approved an increase to the city's Concrete Paving Project of $63,431 following discovery by Goshen Engineering Department staff of additional areas of concrete pavement in need of repair. The increase brings the total project cost to $657,021.

—Approved a decrease to the city's Douglas, Reynolds and 16th Streets reconstruction project of $75,904 needed to close out the project. The decrease brings the total project cost to $972,979.

John Kline can be reached at john.kline@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240315. Follow John on Twitter @jkline_TGN.