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$11 million in public money funding NCR cleanup

The light-colored structure is Building 26, a portion of which housed NCR Corp.’s secret code-breaking activities during World War II. The building was razed in January 2008 as part of a redevelopment and reuse project of the University of Dayton.

Ty Greenlees/NewsChopper 7 The light-colored structure is Building 26, a portion of which housed NCR Corp.’s secret code-breaking activities during World War II. The building was razed in January 2008 as part of a redevelopment and reuse project of the University of Dayton.

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer Updated 2:50 AM Thursday, June 4, 2009

DAYTON — Taxpayers have committed to about $11 million in spending for environmental cleanup and other heavy-equipment related work in the ongoing reuse of old NCR industrial lands.

The brownfields are now under redevelopment by the University of Dayton, which has big conceptual plans for them that include a lighted bikeway path connecting the campus to the river bikeway network, an arts center, an alumni center, more housing and classrooms. There’s no exact timetable for the construction.

Half of the taxpayer money will be spent for environmental cleanup and the rest will be used to install and upgrade water, wastewater and other utilities at the site, said Ted Bucaro, UD director of government and regional relations.

So far, the taxpayer funds have paid to remove contaminated soil, in stages, as well as the 2008 demolition of Building 26, a portion of which housed secret codebreaking activities during World War II.

To fund the reuse, UD, with help from the city of Dayton, lined up money from the state’s Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In 2005, UD agreed to pay $25 million for 49 acres of NCR property following more than 15 months of environmental testing and negotiations.

It included two buildings, two parking lots, two practice soccer fields and acres of undeveloped land largely unused since the 1970s.

The lands are bordered by Stewart Street on the north, Brown Street on the east, Caldwell Street and River Park Drive on the south and South Patterson Boulevard on the west.

In December, NCR donated the equivalent of $5 million to UD by relinquishing rights to commercial development on the lands, freeing UD to develop the land for academic and mixed-use purposes without sharing a portion of future revenues.

UD spokeswoman Teri Rizvi said that from 2005 through 2008, UD received $5.2 million in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funds, which will be used to upgrade water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure on the land. The money has not been spent yet.

In 2006, UD received $99,000 from HUD for some improvements on Brown and Caldwell streets that would include lighting and pavers. Those funds, as well, have yet to be spent, Rizvi said.