The former Simpson Oil building, which stood at the end of East Main Street across from Mainspring Conservation Trust, is no more, and the trust that owns the land hopes what comes next will be a gift to the whole community.
This isn’t the first time that Mainspring has planned something new on an existing brownfield. Their own building was once the site of the bulk oil facility Duncan Oil, which had operated since the 1940s before Mainspring moved there in 2012, and it even still bears the telltale silos on the back of the property. The state has specific and complex protocols in place for using former oil sites for new purposes, but the land was too perfectly situated to pass up.
“We hadn’t planned on doing anything with brownfields at that point,” Mainspring deputy director Ben Laseter said. “But it was right here, right by the river and near Nikwasi, so we decided to clean it up.”
A brownfield is defined as land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes that may be potentially contaminated due to hazardous waste.
The same standards that the North Carolina Brownfields Program set for the current Mainspring site will be relevant when the trust starts cleaning the Simpson Oil site. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process – the trust has been waiting for years to start on it because they don’t have the funding. The demolition took place a few weeks ago because the trust is confident they’ll be able to afford the project next year with some help from the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We’ll definitely be applying for funding from the EPA in the fall,” Laseter said. “There are so many positives about this site, we’re confident that we can get the funding.”
If everything goes as hoped for, Mainspring could start work on the land in 2022 and have a completed green space in 2023. Brownfields restrictions also strictly limit what can be built on the site, so an enclosed structure would be a whole other project. However, a simple patch of grass in that spot could still be a beautification or recreational opportunity for Franklin residents.
“As we try to build a cultural space here, that could be a great space for people to get close to the [Nikwasi] Mound,” said Elaine Eisenbraun, director of the Nikwasi Initiative.
Mainspring staff members also hope that whatever becomes of the space, it will be a boost for Franklin’s reputation. Residents have complained for years about an overabundance of abandoned businesses turning into eyesores – now, one of them at the forefront of town is being replaced.
“This is such a visible entrance to Franklin,” said Mainspring communications director Molly Phillips. “It’s a lovely town, but aesthetically, that’s not always what people see. Having more green space is always welcoming.”
For more information on project in the works at Mainspring Conservation Trust, call them at 828-524-2711 or go online to www.mainspringconserves.org.