FORMER BRACH’S CANDY FACTORY

ML Realty engaged Carlson to provide comprehensive environmental services in support of the redevelopment of the former Brach’s Candy manufacturing facility.  The manufacturing facility was initially constructed in the 1920s and at the time of our Phase I assessment, the 30-acre site was occupied by two structures, a four-story office building and an 11-story manufacturing facility.  Combined, the two buildings had more than two million square feet under roof.

Carlson’s ESA identified the numerous Recognized Environmental Concerns including: staining and leakage in the loading dock area, a former on-site gasoline station, a former storage battery factory, former industrial facility, historical use of chlorinated solvents, multiple underground storage tanks, leakage in the transformer room, a used auto sales lot, and a former gasoline filling station on an adjoining property.  Additional assessments and detailed site investigations followed.

Based on these investigations and reports, Carlson developed a technical approach to meet site-specific remediation objectives which included soil excavation and placement of impacted material into designated on-site soil management zones combined with the utilization of engineered barriers, the use of a deed restriction limiting future land use to either industrial or commercial purposes, and the use of the City of Chicago groundwater ordinance.

In anticipation of demolition activities, Carlson conducted a limited asbestos demolition survey to identify and quantify asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) that might be disturbed during demolition activities.  Suspect ACBM includes items such as floor tile and mastic, pipe wrap, pipe joints, plaster, baseboard mastic, fire proofing, and acoustic ceiling tile.  Our staff then provided oversight of the abatement of the identified ACBM as part of the demolition of all of the structures at the site.