What Are Brownfields?

Brownfields are underutilized or abandoned properties in which future development is complicated by the perception or presence of environmental contaminants.

Brownfields sites can include land or buildings containing asbestos, mold or other pollutants; former industrial and commercial sites such as gas stations, dry cleaning facilities, grain elevators, landfills; and lands contaminated with historic oilfield operations.

Private-public partnerships are often the catalyst in the transition of such properties from blight to vibrant developments. Oklahoma City’s Brownfields Program supports prospective purchasers in redeveloping urban properties by providing site assessments and assisting with remediation.

Brownfields Program Benefits

Completing a Phase I Site Assessment before the purchase of a property generally fulfills the All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) requirement. Fulfilling AAI is a critical step in protecting a future landowner’s liability with respect to contamination. In the event the Phase I identifies the possible presence of contamination, the Brownfields Program may be able to provide a Phase II environmental investigation that will provide a more accurate assessment.

If a property has environmental concerns, developers can run into difficulty obtaining standard bank financing due to liability. In such cases, the Brownfields Program has a revolving loan fund to provide low-interest gap financing for environmental clean-up activities.

The Brownfields Program also supports nonprofit organizations' development with projects through technical assistance and clean-up grants.

The Oklahoma City Brownfields Program Can Provide:

Financial Resources

• No cost environmental assessments for qualifying redevelopment projects in Oklahoma City
• Low interest environmental clean-up loan funds to aid redevelopment
• Grants to nonprofits for environmental clean-up to aid redevelopment

Technical Guidance

• Identification of Brownfields
• Consultations with property owners, developers & prospective purchasers
• Assistance with state or federal regulatory agency programs
• Phase I/II site assessments
• Review of environmental documentation on redevelopment sites

“For every acre of reused Brownfields an estimated 4.5 acres of unused green space is preserved.”
– United States Environmental Protection Agency

 

Application Documents

Brownfields Assessment Preapplication
Brownfields Loan Preapplication

Linked Documents

Brownfields Brochure (pdf)
Brownfields Program (pdf)
The Role of AAI in Redevelopment (pdf)

Oklahoma City Brownfields Team
Chris Varga, Brownfields Coordinator
420 W. Main, 9th Floor
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405 297-1639

Oklahoma City Brownfields Team
Amanda Alewine, Brownfields Planner
420 W. Main, 9th Floor
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405 297-1766