On Thursday, November 15, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) will present a Brownfield Certificate of Completion to the City of Hot Springs for meeting the requirements of the Arkansas Brownfield Program at the former Majestic Hotel site. A ribbon cutting will be held at 11 a.m. to declare the site ready for productive use again after undergoing remedial action to correct site contamination issues. The ceremony will take place at the former hotel site, located at the intersections of Central, Whittington and Park avenues in downtown Hot Springs. Hot Springs Mayor Pat McCabe and ADEQ Director Becky W. Keogh will speak at the ceremony, along with Elizabeth Robbins of the Garland County Historical Society. The ceremony marks the end of the environmental remediation work, positioning the property for upcoming redevelopment work sessions.
The City of Hot Springs acquired the five-acre site in September 2015 after condemning it following a fire in early 2014. With assistance from ADEQ, the city enrolled in the Arkansas Brownfield Program. The Arkansas Brownfield Program aids in the rehabilitation of property that may have been contaminated with a hazardous substance, thereby complicating prospects for expansion, redevelopment, or reuse. For more information on the Arkansas Brownfield Program visit ADEQ’s website at: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/hazwaste/programs/brownfield/.