The Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) was awarded a Brownfield Assessment grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to help property owners throughout northern Arizona. The funds will assist in transforming underutilized properties from liabilities into assets that revitalize our communities and bring neighborhoods back to life. EPA Brownfield funds aid communities throughout the country to assess and clean up abandoned or potentially contaminated properties.

The goals of the program are to:

• Support local economic development initiatives that stimulate investment and provide new employment opportunities.
• Transform blighted areas into safe, viable spaces that enhance our neighborhoods.
• Restore the environment and protect human health.
• Create public-private partnerships that will leverage funding for redevelopment projects.
• Gather and effectively utilize public input to identify priority redevelopment areas, plans and strategies.

Learn more at https://nacog.org/route-66-brownfield-site-revitalization/

What are Brownfields?

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties, such as schools, fire departments, hospitals, hotels/motels, dry cleaners and older commercial buildings, with redevelopment potential that has been complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination due to commercial or industrial use. Before Brownfields programs, these properties would typically remain unused due to public health and liability concerns.

Examples: