# Belfast Approves $250,000 Zero-Interest Loan for CG Bikes Brownfield Cleanup

> Belfast approved a $250,000 zero-interest loan for CG Bikes owner Chris Gardner to clean up the former Blood's Garage site at 34 Northport Ave.

- Published: 2026-11-13T22:02:21+00:00
- Section: Funding
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-13/cg-bikes-belfast-cleanup-loan
- Source: [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/belfast-approves-loan-cg-bikes-212052257.html)

## Key takeaways

- The Belfast City Council approved a $250,000 cleanup loan for CG Bikes owner Chris Gardner at zero percent interest with deferred repayment.
- The loan will fund excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil, a vapor barrier and sub-slab depressurization system, and engineered soil capping approved by the Maine DEP.
- Outgoing Councilor Mary Mortimer led the 5-0 approval vote, and Gardner has not yet committed to building a residence on the 0.35-acre site.

The Belfast City Council approved a $250,000 loan for CG Bikes owner Chris Gardner to complete Brownfield cleanup at his former Blood's Garage at 34 Northport Ave., the council voted 5-0. [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/belfast-approves-loan-cg-bikes-212052257.html) reported the loan carries zero percent interest with deferred repayment.

## How the CG Bikes Cleanup Loan Works

Belfast Economic Development Director Thomas Kittredge told councilors on November 4 that the city received its first cleanup loan application, from Velo Garage LLC, or Chris Gardner, owner of the 0.35-acre parcel. The city is using a $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to capitalize a Brownfields Revolving Loan and Subgrant Program, under which for-profit businesses can apply for loans and nonprofit organizations can apply for grants to clean up contamination.

Gardner's application outlines a cleanup plan in which crews will excavate and dispose of contaminated soil off-site, install a vapor barrier and sub-slab depressurization system, and cap the remaining on-site soil with engineered cover systems approved by the Maine DEP. An earlier environmental assessment found petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals including arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium below ground. The property's Declaration of Environmental Covenants, administered through the Maine Department of Environmental Protection's Voluntary Response Action Program, prohibits residential construction and allows only industrial or commercial activities on-site.

Outgoing Councilor Mary Mortimer led the 5-0 approval in one of her final votes. "Chris Gardner's a local entrepreneur and he has grown his business from a little tiny business in a leased space," Mortimer said. "This is exciting growth." Gardner said he has not yet committed to building a residence on the property. "There's still a lot to be figured out," he said. "We have to consider the housing market and whether this is the right time to do this project."

CG Bikes opened in 2019 at 39 Main St., sharing first-floor retail space with Downshift Coffee, before Gardner leased the 1,260-square-foot former gas station and auto repair garage about a mile away. A year and a half after signing the lease, he approached his landlord about buying the garage, and the two worked out a deal. Before closing, Gardner received a new EPA Phase I Environmental Site Assessment through Belfast's Brownfields Assessment Program, a step opening a pathway to redevelop the site. Belfast now has 46 brownfield sites in varying stages of assessment, review and cleanup, according to the EPA's Brownfields Near You directory.

## What Gardner Can Draw On

If Gardner decides to proceed with the redevelopment, he can draw on the $250,000 loan to complete the Brownfield cleanup required to meet state standards and make the site safe for his family. The cleanup plan calls for the work to be carried out under the engineered cover systems approved by the Maine DEP.

## Companies in this story

- cg bikes · website: https://cgbikesmaine.com

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