Former foundry property has passed significant DEQ thresholds
Heather Bell
RADFORD – Radford Economic Director Kim Repass updated members of Radford City Council recently on the progress being made at the West Radford Commerce Park, the site of the former foundry.
The city is preparing the lot for future industrial development using a $3.5 million state grant. Repass reported to council that the concrete pads on the site are currently being removed, and the removal of asphalt is next on the list, which is possible because the project is under budget. The 100-year-old, 250,000 square-foot concrete pad should be completely removed by January, and then work will begin on the asphalt removal, weather permitting.
“In some places, this concrete is 15 feet deep, and more,” she said. “So far there have been 11,647.45 tons of concrete removed, plus what is being kept on site for fill.”
Last January, the city removed tons of soil from the site, at the direction of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The area was where the highest levels of lead and PCBs were located. As of Oct. 31, the DEQ signed off on the on-site 9.3-acre landfill and soil work, with “no further action necessary” from the DEQ standpoint.
“This is huge for us,” she said. “We’ve been working on this since 2023. It’s a huge win as we move forward to develop this property.”
Completing the DEQ-required portion of the work provides the property with a Uniform Environmental Covenants Act declaration, which Repass explained stays with the deed of the property and is helpful when trying to market it.
As for what the property can be used for, Repass explained it will only be suitable for industrial uses.
“This property will remain industrial,” she said. “While there are things that would be awesome to have in the city, a lot of those are just not going to be feasible for this property.”
Repass said the city has had several inquiries about the property and she expects those will increase as the work continues. The property is being marketed at the city and state level.
“This is significant news for us,” said Mayor David Horton. “It’s been a long time coming.”
“There’s so much going on behind the scene,” said Vice Mayor Seth Gillespie. “We are moving the needle. This is a huge piece for our future.”
Repass said two other city-owned properties, one on Wadsworth Street and the other at Route 232 just off I-81 Exit 105, are being marketed on large scale commercial property websites.
The property at 1746 Wadsworth St. (the corner of Rock and Wadsworth streets) is a little over an acre and is zoned B-1 (limited business) and the Route 232 property is three acres and is zoned M-1 (industrial), but could also be used for business, such as a large scale convenience/ travel center or other use complementary to its proximity to the interstate.
