PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today a $62,850 Brownfields Grant award to the Town of Miami to help the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum (BPCCM) expand its exhibits by making use of the basement of its historic building located at 150 North Plaza Circle in Miami. Currently contaminated with asbestos and lead-based paint, the building’s basement remains closed to the public.
Mayor Darryl Dalley said, “With the Town of Miami approaching its centennial year in March of 2018, this grant will help us improve this facility and expand the display of the rich history involving the copper mining industry and ethnic cultures that have been the heart and soul of Miami.”
Funds from this second Brownfields Grant will both help the Town realize its long-held vision for expanding the BPCCM and position Bullion Plaza as its showcase. Current museum exhibits document the economic, social and cultural history of Miami.
According to BPCCM Executive Director Thomas N. Foster, this second grant will help “add dimension and access for our visitors and the community overall,” and offer “safe, long-term development and enjoyment of formerly unusable spaces by abating and removing the hazards that linger.”
Last year, ADEQ provided an initial Brownfields Grant to the Town of Miami to:
- complete an asbestos and lead-based paint survey of the building’s basement and crawl spaces,
- identify contaminant locations and levels, and
- estimate cleanup costs.
Clean-up work is scheduled to begin next week.