Turning Powhatan Place from vision to reality...

On July 14, 2011,the City of Ranson submitted a application for HUD Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grant funding and HUD Section 108 loan guarantee resources, to support the revitalization of the vacant brass foundry into a new, livable downtown neighborhood called “Powhatan Place.”  

Ranson has struggled with the closure of major manufacturing plants and the loss of 1,500 jobs within the urban core.  Ranson is determined to foster the revitalization of our historic downtown core with LEED-ND neighborhoods, green infrastructure, complete streets, and new jobs. Ranson very pleased that the Obama Administration has recognized and supports our vision: Ranson has now received four EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants, one EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant, one EPA Area-Wide Brownfield Pilot Grant, and a joint HUD Sustainable Community Challenge Grant / DOT TIGER Planning Grant to support our initiatives. Ranson was excited to see that HUD recognized our community on the HUDdle blog on June 16, as did the White House, when the Administration celebrated the 2-year anniversary of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Ranson is ready to fulfill the promise of this important national endeavor.

Our critical next step is to transform the 119-year old Powhatan brass foundry, located in the the heart of downtown, which is a plant that had a major environmental release in 2005, and closed its doors in 2006 resulting in the loss of 250 jobs. Ranson has obtained the site and will transform this brownfield into the “Powhatan Place” downtown center, a LEED-ND, mixed-use neighborhood that will include commercial and retail development, workforce housing, community facilities, park space, and green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff into the Chesapeake Bay watershed, all located on a “complete street” revitalization of Ranson’s main transportation corridor. Ranson has a development agreement with a nationally-renowned brownfields redeveloper to build the “Anchor Building” with commercial/retail jobs at the site, and that Anchor Building is the focus of the HUD BEDI/108 application. 

Ranson is committed to this project, and we are confident that success at Powhatan Place will be the spark that lights a fire of revitalization across the broader community, fulfilling the vision of our sustainable community partnership with you. Ranson will leverage additional resources into the HUD BEDI/108 resources, including by dedicating $200,000 in U.S. EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant resources, $40,000 in City match to the EPA grant, and $120,000 in land to the Anchor Building project at Powhatan Place, in addition to the $6,756,000 in private equity and debt that is already committed.

We are confident that, with HUD support, Powhatan Place and our sustainable community plans will succeed.

For more information on Powhatan Place, click here.