Park Laundry site cleanup project to begin in Ridgefield

Access to the lots during cleanup will be limited to protect the safety of community members and the work site

Cleanup activity will soon begin at the Park Laundry Site in Downtown Ridgefield. Access to the lots during cleanup will be limited to protect the safety of community members and the work site.

Adjacent to the cleanup, the old Police Station (116 N Main Avenue) and the old Ridgefield Jail will be demolished and filled with gravel.

About Park Laundry site cleanup

The Park Laundry site has been a significant part of the Ridgefield community’s history. Last used as a bustling laundry facility, the site has seen numerous transformations. Park Laundry occupied the former building on the property from approximately 1965 to 1977. The laundry service is believed to have included dry cleaning services and self-service, coin operated washers and dryers. Park Laundry’s operations had ceased by 1978.

During this time, a liquid solvent chemical that was commonly used in dry cleaning called tetrachloroethene (PCE) was released into the soil and groundwater. Soil and groundwater on and near the property was found to contain concentrations of PCE and a similar chemical called trichloroethene (TCE) above Washington State Department of Ecology standards. The Park Laundry building was demolished over 20 years ago, and the property is now owned by the city of Ridgefield.

The city of Ridgefield has been awarded over $2 million in grant funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology, as well as an additional $195,000 from the Washington Department of Commerce to complete cleanup at the site.

Cleanup plan

The chosen remedy by Ecology involves comprehensive measures to ensure the site is thoroughly cleaned and ready for future use:

Soil Excavation: Soil will be excavated down to 15 feet below ground surface and disposed of at an appropriate site.
Groundwater Remediation: Focused groundwater remediation will be conducted using injection points to treat PCE.
Institutional Controls: Controls will be put in place to prevent potential exposure to contamination.
Groundwater Monitoring: Post-cleanup monitoring will be completed to confirm the success of the remedy.

The excavation will be backfilled with clean, imported fill, and any disturbed paved areas will be restored.

Police Station and jail

The old Police Station, located at 116 N Main Avenue, and the jail located behind the building, will soon be demolished and the site filled with gravel.

The Police Department moved to its new location, at 101 Mill Street Ste 110 in July 2023. The old Ridgefield jail, a concrete structure located behind the old Police Station, has been used primarily for storage for many years. The city has removed several elements of the old jail, such as cell doors, to be reserved for future use in a museum or historical interpretive center to commemorate the jail. The structure will be demolished and filled with gravel to create temporary parking.

After demolition activities are completed, the area will be available to stage equipment for the Park Laundry site cleanup when necessary. When possible, the fence perimeter will be adjusted to allow for off street public parking on the site of the former Police Station and jail.

Downtown parking

The Park Laundry Site and lots to the immediate north were temporarily used for public, off-street parking in previous years. Parking will not be permitted within the cleanup area during the project.

Off street public parking is available at the following locations:

Davis Park, N 3rd Avenue and Mill Street
Mill Street and Railroad Avenue (grass area adjacent to railroad fence)

The Downtown Parking Improvement project is underway to create additional parking capacity in the downtown core. Learn more about the plan, what has been done and what the next steps are on Ridgefield Roundtable.

Future of the Site

Upon completion in 2025, the site will be eligible for redevelopment, supporting downtown Ridgefield as an active and vibrant area. This project will allow the site to return to beneficial use, contributing to the ongoing revitalization of the historic downtown district.

While the cleanup will make these parcels eligible for redevelopment, there is not currently a development plan for the properties. The city did purchase the Park Laundry property to complete the remediation, however the lots to the north are still privately owned. At this time, there is no information to share about what the future of the site may look like. Any future development will be required to meet standards set for the Downtown Waterfront Sub Area to maintain the hometown character and promote downtown revitalization and creation of employment.