An honest history
The 5.15-acre site at 43 & 91 Douglass Street was historically filled wetlands, part of a brick yard in the early 1900s, and a City dump from 1900 to 1962; the West School stood here until 2013 (demolished 2016). Like much of urban Portland, the historic "urban fill" left low levels of common contaminants — polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lead — that are typical across the city, not unique to this site.
A state-approved cleanup
The developers (MCDP and The Szanton Company) enrolled the site in Maine DEP’s Voluntary Response Action Program (VRAP) and submitted a Work Plan and Environmental Media Management Plan, both approved by Maine DEP. On January 9, 2024, Maine DEP issued a No Action Assurance Letter — its sign-off on the cleanup approach. Credere Associates, an environmental professional, oversees construction for compliance.
How the homes are protected
The remedy is an engineered barrier system: a marker layer, 12 inches of clean natively-sourced fill, and loam/grass landscaping — or hardscape like driveways, walkways, and building foundations — capping the ground so residents are never exposed. Because PAHs and lead don’t dissolve in water or migrate, this is a stable, long-term remedy. Dust and runoff during construction are controlled with erosion best-practices reviewed by the City of Portland.
Tested and confirmed safe
Groundwater sampling found no contaminants of concern (only trace naturally-occurring metals), and testing showed contamination is not migrating off-site. Every component of the management plan is designed to protect surrounding properties. In short: a responsible redevelopment of a long-vacant urban lot — cleaned up, capped, monitored, and state-approved — turned into permanently-affordable homes.