Yesterday, the Oklahoma City Council approved a $500,000, four-year Brownfields Assessment grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Brownfields are underused properties that may have environmental contaminants that complicate their redevelopment.
The grant will be used for environmental site assessments, cleanup and reuse planning and community engagement in the City’s Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area, with emphasis on the area south of NE 8th Street, the NE 23rd and Martin Luther King corridor and the Core to Shore Area.
"This EPA grant will allow us to continue our efforts in revitalizing key areas of our city and ensuring a safer, healthier environment for our residents," Brownfields Planner Amanda Alewine said.
In addition to this grant, the City has $3 million available to loan to for-profit developers or to subgrant to nonprofit organizations for cleanup of Brownfields sites, including asbestos abatements.
The latest grant brings the total EPA brownfields grant investment in Oklahoma City to more than $15.5 million. It has helped spark over $2 billion in public and private development. A few of the developments include the First National Center, Scissortail Park and Oklahoma City Community College in Capitol Hill.
For more information, visit the Brownfields page on okc.gov.