WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — The City of Warner Robins' Commercial Circle Development isn't just aimed at making the area look better. They plan to make the land healthier as well.
With 60% of the circle acquired, one section has some environmental pollution. Five of the seven buildings the city closed on Wednesday are affected by this contamination.
The city says old businesses there, like a former dry cleaner and gas station, left behind pollution.
Derek Staley has worked at House of Styles Barbershop for two years, and he says the Commercial Circle area has character.
"It's very comfortable. There's no bad crime, or nothing like that, so it's a good area," Staley said.
Staley says the city'ss downtown development will brighten the mood and bring opportunity.
"Anything to help bring productiveness or even if its something to brighten someone's day, like different building or seeing new opportunities, will brighten the area up," he said.
He says he wouldn't say the area needs a cleanup but says "anything can always be better."
The city says this includes the health of the land in part of Commercial Circle. They conducted an environmental study to look at the historical use of property, and if there were recommendations from environmental studies.
Some of their tested property needed a soil boring test.
"We found that there was some contaminates in the ground as far as soil and water goes," Community and Economic Development Director Kate Hogan said.
Hogan says this is the area in the Northeast Quadrant of the circle, which is the side where the city water tower sits. Hogan says this is the area from Car Source down to Central Turf and Irrigation Supply.
"On a day-to-day basis, there is no hazards for the general public," Hogan said.
She says once they start to redevelop the area and disrupt the land it will be on the city to properly clean up.
"Getting rid of some chemicals today's standards is very different with EPA, so we have the opportunity to go back and correct some of the previous standards," Hogan said.
She says this is a normal practice.
"This is a common occurrence as far as specific businesses, not having followed regulations or regulations not being followed, as far as, contaminates go, so we are working with an existing framework to remediate these environmental concerns," Hogan said.
She says this will not interfere with their timeline for building demolitions that they hope will happen this year.
The city is using the Georgia Brownfields Act to correct the issue.
Hogan says the city hopes to partner with an environmental engineer who will connect them to a multipurpose grant.
This will help them determine how to clean up the area.
Hogan says that could be as simple as digging up the contaminated area and replacing it with new soil.