The City of Chickamauga has accepted a $4 million Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Cleanup Grant to remove environmental contamination from the former Crystal Springs Mill property.
The former textile mill, located near downtown Chickamauga, has remained vacant for years since the factory closed. While the mill buildings have been demolished, city officials say contamination still exists at the site.
The federal funding will allow the city to complete the cleanup and prepare the property for future redevelopment. Although no specific plans have been announced for the site, Mayor Evitte Parrish said the city is already preparing for the next phase of the project and intends to stay on schedule.
Under the terms of the grant, the city has four years to complete the work outlined in its application. Parrish said residents should begin seeing noticeable progress much sooner than is typical for many government projects, with the next phase potentially beginning as early as October. City officials are currently working to schedule a planning meeting.
City leaders say cleaning up the former mill property is a major step toward revitalizing the long-vacant site and creating new opportunities for economic development in Chickamauga.