Stevensville receives $733k EPA grant to clean up former Anstey Foundry

STEVENSVILLE, Mich – A longtime eyesore in downtown Stevensville could soon be coming down, after the village received more than $733,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the former Anstey Foundry.

The EPA says the work is part of the process of removing contamination in the region.  

As part of the cleanup, officials expect there could be asbestos inside the building. Once demolition is complete, an additional round of testing will be conducted to determine what contamination remains at the site.  

There is no set timeline for when the building will be demolished, but village officials are hoping for next calendar year.  

Stevensville Village Manager Kacey Dominguez says the grant is a major investment for the community.  

"Having this level of grant funding for a project this big is groundbreaking," she says.  

"Our budget is about $1 million a year, so that can tell you what kind of scope of an impact that grant is."

While funding is underway, it's still unclear what will occupy the new space.  

In a survey sent out to community members, the majority of residents said they would like to see a residential space.  

"We'll put out a request for proposals for development ideas," Dominguez says on next steps.  

"Those will be presented to village council at a later date, and they'll determine what happens next."   

Congressman Tim Walberg was in Stevensville for the announcement and helped advocate for federal funding of the place.  

"To have Stevensville, a community with a neat downtown, with eating establishments, lodging and all of the rest - to have an eyesore like this connected to the Great Lakes, that makes it important," Congressman Walberg said.  

Just before the event, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Congressman Walberg for re-election, saying his support for free enterprise is vital in today's economy.