LORAIN — Nearly $4.4 million dollars is coming to Lorain to transform the site along the Black River by the old U.S. Steel plant, Mayor Tony Krasienko announced Tuesday.

To secure the federal money, though, the city has to kick into high gear.

There’s an application deadline Friday, and an opening bid deadline Dec. 18 — both of which must be met to secure the money.

“We’ll find a way to make it work,” Krasienko said. “We’ll do everything we can for the $4.4 million.”

Krasienko said the city will apply for a loan through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Division of Environment Finance and Assistance Program. Once the project is completed, federal stimulus money will repay the loan.

“We’ll start advertising for bids on Friday,” Krasienko said.

The project will include cleaning up the brownfield site and then restoring the wetlands that have suffered from more than 100 years of pollution from the steel mill.

The Utilities Department will oversee the project.

Director of Utilities Corey Timko said Tuesday he was glad to get the confirmation.

“We got the confirmation this morning that Ohio EPA called our engineers and said that we definitely were going to be awarded the money,” Timko said. “(The site) is a huge eyesore and it’s part of the largest brownfield in the city of Lorain. It affects the water quality in the river, and it affects the aesthetics.

“What looks like a moonscape right now will turn it into a lush, green space along the river so fishermen and boaters will have something else to look at besides garbage.”

The grant will be used to remove slag, clean and prepare the site, build a fish shelf and create a wetland and green area, officials said.

Lorain Port Authority Executive Director Richard Novak said the project is part of long-term plans to redevelop the city’s riverfront in a way that allows for the co-existence of industry and ecology.

“It will definitely be a benefit,” Novak said. “We wanted that site to be a showcase of environmental responsibility and also to show how property along the Black River could be developed. This is a tremendous benefit to the community.”

Council passed legislation authorizing the loan application and advertising for bids during its meeting Monday night.

“I am elated that we had a shovel-ready site that will continue to improve the habitat and ecology of the Black River which will, in turn, make Lorain more marketable to the sport fishing industry and tourism,” Krasienko said in a press release.

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

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