Illinois Valley Times

Illinois State House District 74 candidate Bradley Fritts spoke at a press conference announcing $1.2 million in grants for Mendota and later commented, "This is a huge win for the area and I look forward to seeing how they transform and utilize this new space!" He made this statement in a June 17 post on Facebook.

"Last week, I spoke at a press conference in Mendota announcing $1.2 million in Brownfields Grant funding to repurpose an old dry cleaner into a new space for the community," said Fritts, according to Facebook. "This is a huge win for the area and I look forward to seeing how they transform and utilize this new space!"

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $17,833,610 in grants from the Investing in America agenda for the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Illinois. According to a May 20 news release, Mendota will specifically receive a $1,270,305 Brownfields cleanup grant to clean up the Former Campbell Cleaners property. The site includes two parcels on a quarter-acre cleanup site. The EPA stated that the southern parcel was "used as a steam laundry and dry cleaners," while the northern parcel was used for farm implementation sales and service as well as an automotive parts retailer.

Screenshot of Rep. Brad Fritts' June 17 Facebook post. | State Representative Bradley Fritts Facebook page

"This brownfield site, along with two recent devastating fires in the downtown, have stifled our city. Receiving this award is an honor and the exact lifeline the City of Mendota needs desperately. We are honored and truly believe this will be a pivotal step in rebuilding, revitalizing and modernizing our downtown," said City of Mendota Economic Development Director Emily McConville.

According to the City of Mendota’s application for a grant, the Campbell’s Cleaners site included a two-story building that was demolished in 2020, although some pavement and building foundations remain. Soil contamination will require remediation before the site is fully redeveloped. The vacant site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals, necessitating cleanup before it can be reused. In its application, the city stated that if additional assessment work is needed, local funds will be used to complete it. Existing tax increment financing district benefits will cover remediation costs if grant funds are insufficient.

Bradley Fritts is the State Representative for District 74 and took office in January 2023. He is a lifelong resident of Illinois; when not in Springfield, he works as a substitute teacher and farms with his family. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural and consumer economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.