The former USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago, Indiana, has reached a major milestone. Once considered a complex environmental challenge due to lead contamination affecting nearby residents living on the site and in surrounding neighborhoods, the property has been successfully remediated and is now ready for redevelopment.
Vita Nuova played a key role in advancing the project by bringing together responsible parties, local government, and development partners to create a viable path forward. Having identified both the need for housing in the existing neighborhood and new employment opportunities, Vita Nuova helped bring new vision for cleanup and reuse of the site.
Through a targeted marketing process, Vita Nuova identified qualified developers for the city. Agreeing to pay the city $1 million for the USS Lead site, Industrial Development Advantage (IDA), a national risk transfer developer, was selected to negotiate a cleanup risk transfer with the responsible parties and acquire the property.
IDA settled with the responsible parties to take on the cleanup and purchased the site from the city housing authority in 2022. IDA completed the cleanup in less than two years, transforming the former Superfund site into a marketable property ready for future industrial and commercial use.
The redevelopment effort is part of a broader investment strategy aimed at creating jobs and supporting economic growth in the West Calumet neighborhood. The property is currently being marketed for redevelopment opportunities.
Property information: https://darwinpw.com/property-listings/?propertyId=1331060-sale
USEPA Region 5 leadership visited West Calumet in February 2026 to discuss the rebuilding of the neighborhood with Mayor Copeland and staff.
