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Brownfields Success Stories

Brownfields Success Stories highlight the accomplishments of EPA brownfields grantees across the country. These accomplishments include transforming brownfields into thriving new centers of commerce and industry; creating jobs through cleanup and reuse; formatting innovative partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and private-sector stakeholders such as developers and lenders; training residents of brownfields communities for high-wage environmental careers; and countless other examples of how brownfields restoration has positively impacted local economies and the quality of life for neighboring communities. Please note that the examples below are a sampling of Brownfields success stories. This list is not intended to be a full inventory of all Brownfields projects.

Success Story Name Date City/ County State Grant Type Region
Turning Trash into Treasures: a Former Landfill Becomes a Community Asset 2008 Austin TX Revolving Loan Fund 6
In a Small, Long Island Town, Three Contiguous Parcels are Prepared for Redevelopment 2010 Babylon NY Assessment 2
Civic Works' Baltimore Center for Green Careers 2012 Baltimore MD Job Training 3
Biomedical Research Facilities Expanding on Brownfields in Louisiana 2009 Shreveport LA Cleanup 6
Former Post Office in Blodgett Delivering Hope to Local Residents 2008 Blodgett OR Cleanup 10
Former Mill Redeveloped to Create 500 Jobs 2008 Brewer ME Assessment 1
Brownfields Environmental Job Training Programs Lead to New Lives for Graduates 2009 Brooklyn NY Job Training 2
Area With an Industrial Legacy Becomes a Community Asset 2010 Bucks County PA Revolving Loan Fund 3
Area With an Industrial Legacy Becomes a Community Asset 2010 Bucks County PA Cleanup 3
New Life Breathed into Former Industrial Property 2008 Buffalo NY Cleanup 2
Former International Harvester site, Canton, IL In Canton, a Storied Industrial Property is Rising from its own Ashes 2008 Canton IL Assessment 5
Preserving a Community Garden Takes Root In a Former Brownfield 2006 Capital Area Development Authority CA Cleanup 9
An Urban Brownfields Property Creates Smart Residential Living Choices in Downtown Boise 2010 Boise ID Targeted Brownfields Assessment 10
Land Revitalization Fact Sheet Recreational Reuse: Cleveland Velodrome 2012 Cleveland OH Assessment 5
Former Bulk Oil Terminal Returns as a Center of Community Activity 2010 Columbia MO Cleanup 7
Environmental Assessments Serve as Tools of Progression in Creating Sustainable Redevelopment 2012 Cordova AL Assessment 4
Former Warehouse Creates Downtown Art Space 2012 Council Bluffs IA Assessment 7
Former Warehouse Creates Downtown Art Space 2012 Council Bluffs IA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Grants 7
Former Oil Storage and Production Property Cleaned Up to Make Way for Dog Park 2008 Culver City CA Cleanup 9
Borne from disaster, Oakland's Cypress Mandela Training Center is now a Lifesaver for Area Residents 2011 Cypress Mandela Training Center CA Job Training 9
EPA Cleanup Grant Helps to Leverage Funding for Property Cleanup and Redevelopment 2011 Denver CO Cleanup 8
Habitat for Humanity Gives New Meaning to ""ReStoring"" Brownfields 2007 Dickinson County MI Assessment 5
Durango Power House, Durango, CO Children's Museum Project Brings New Energy to an Historic Power Plant 2008 Durango CO Assessment 8
In Durham, North Carolina, Environmental Training Prepares Residents for the Jobs Created by Area Revitalization 2010 Durham NC Job Training 4
Reinvigorating the Use of the Elizabeth River in Elizabeth, New Jesey 2011 Elizabeth NJ Assessment 2
Ely Shoshone Tribe Transforming Former Dump into Recreational Park and Economic Opportunity 2008 Ely Shoshone NV Assessment 9
Revitalizing the Town of Fletcher to Construct a New Downtown 2011 Fletcher NC Cleanup 4
Former Brownfield to Become Part of 23.8-Mile Country Trail Project 2010 Freeport IL Assessment 5
Former Brownfield to Become Part of 23.8-Mile Country Trail Project 2010 Freeport IL Cleanup 5
Five-Mile Creek Greenways Project is Turning Idle Brownfields into Recreational Resources 2006 Fultondale AL Assessment 4
Brownfields Assessment Improves City’s Emergency Services 2012 Garland TX Assessment 6
Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Former Power Plant Gets New Energy from Marine Wildlife 2010 Jekyll Island GA Targeted Brownfields Assessment 4
Reusing Idle Land in Ways that Best Serve a Community 2012 Gila River Indian Community AZ Cleanup 9
Property Assessment Leads to Industrial Development 2012 Gratiot County MI Assessment 5
Artists Call a Former Brownfield Home 2006 Houston TX Cleanup 6
Brownfields Assessment Leads to Jobs 2010 Jackson MI Assessment 5
In Jacksonville, Environmental Training Offers a World of New Opportunities 2010 Jacksonville FL Job Training 4
Former Industrial Property Cleaned Up and Restored to Natural Estuarine Habitat 2008 Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe WA Cleanup 10
Bridging the Needs of the Community with the Needs of the Labor Market 2004 Boston MA Job Training 1
Assessment Grant Opens the Door for Redevelopment 2012 Johnstown PA Assessment 3
Paseo YMCA Cleanup Preserving History 2006 Kansas City MO Cleanup 7
Now Playing in Chanute, Kansas: The Roxy Movie Theater 2012 Chanute KS Section 128(a) State and Tribal Grants 7
Now Playing in Chanute, Kansas: The Roxy Movie Theater 2012 Chanute KS Targeted Brownfields Assessment 7
Removing Trash Reveals Nature's Treasures 2008 Lancaster County PA Assessment 3
A Contaminated, Abandoned Gas Station Finds New Life in the Sale of Cutting-Edge Biofuels 2007 Lane County OR Cleanup 10
Community Engagement Drives Progress in the Spicket River Revitalization Project 2011 Lawrence MA Assessment 1
Former Mill Complex Redeveloped for Light Industrial Use, with a 300,000 square-foot Convention Center Planned 2008 Lewiston ME Assessment 1
A Vision of Liberty is Realized 2008 Liberty Lands PA Targeted Brownfields Assessment 3
Partnerships and Critical Funding Turn Contaminated Land into Recreational and Residential Centerpieces 2009 Worcester MA Assessment 1
Partnerships and Critical Funding Turn Contaminated Land into Recreational and Residential Centerpieces 2009 Worcester MA Cleanup 1
Meeting Street - Believing in the Possibilities 2007 Meeting Street RI Cleanup 1
Transforming Milwaukee's Largest Brownfield into a Sustainable Benefit for the Community 2010 Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority WI Revolving Loan Fund 5
In Milwaukee, King Commons Leads Development of the Historic King Drive Neighborhood 2010 Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority WI Cleanup 5
An Idle, Former Freight Depot Now Serves as a Community Food Center 2012 Missoula MT Revolving Loan Fund 8
A New Gateway to Moorhead 2008 Moorhead MN Assessment 5
An Omaha Community Builds Salvation on a Former Brownfield 2010 Lincoln NBNE Section 128(a) State and Tribal Grants 7
Oakland, California Turns a Run-Down, Contaminated Area into a Recreational Centerpiece 2009 Oakland CA Revolving Loan Fund 9
Higher Education Takes the Green Route 2008 Ohlone Community College District CA Cleanup 9
Restoring Elegance to the Oklahoma City Skyline 2006 Oklahoma City OK Revolving Loan Fund 6
Greening Orange County: Creating Greenspace in the City of Orange 2007 Orange CA Cleanup 9
A Former Gas Station Site to be Reused for Higher Purposes 2012 Bend TY Section 128(a) State and Tribal Grants 10
A Former Gas Station Site to be Reused for Higher Purposes 2012 Bend OR Assessment 10
Former Manufacturing Gas Plant Developed into Public Performance Venue and Greenspace 2010 Oshkosh WI Assessment 5
Former Manufacturing Gas Plant Developed into Public Performance Venue and Greenspace 2010 Oshkosh WI Cleanup 5
Creating a Niche Neighborhood Environment 2012 Philadelphia PA Assessment 3
Community Led Action to Create the Emerson Street Garden 2011 Portland OR Assessment 10
Pioneering Vision Sees Portland’s Newest, Greenest Neighborhood Rising from an Industrial Wasteland 2012 Portland OR Cleanup 10
An Underused Site Becomes an Essential Component of an Area-wide Redevelopment Initiative 2010 Oakland CA Cleanup 9
Indian Colony Transforms Idle Property into a Community Benefit 2008 Reno NV Revolving Loan Fund 9
Built on a Former Brownfield, Reno’s New Events Center is a Major Venue for Downtown Entertainment 2006 Reno NV Cleanup 9
Green Jobs Resulting in Sustainable Careers 2010 Richmond CA Job Training 9
Rehabilitated Site Provides New Opportunity for Small Business Owner 2010 Richmond VA Assessment 3
Residential Reuse Plans Address a Community-Identified Need 2008 Rosebud TX Cleanup 6
Engaging Communities in Healthy Living Through Revitalization 2007 Salt Lake City UT Assessment 8
A Long-Idle School Building will Once Again Benefit Local Residents 2012 Shelby MT Cleanup 8
A Brownfields Intervention Results in the New Shreveport Convention Center 2007 Shreveport LA Revolving Loan Fund 6
Former Industrial Corridor Transformed into a Recreational Centerpiece for the City of Sioux Falls 2010 Sioux Falls SD Assessment 8
Former Industrial Corridor Transformed into a Recreational Centerpiece for the City of Sioux Falls 2010 Sioux Falls SD Cleanup 8
A Hole in One for Revolving Loan Fund 2007 Hollywood FL Revolving Loan Fund 5
Former Rail Yard Property Ready for Reuse in One Year 2006 Spokane WA Revolving Loan Fund 10
From the Ground Up, Springfield Builds Momentum in Redeveloping its Brownfields 2009 Springfield OH Assessment 5
From the Ground Up, Springfield Builds Momentum in Redeveloping its Brownfields 2009 Springfield OH Revolving Loan Fund 5
Brownfields Lead to Community and Youth Engagement 2008 St. Joseph MO Cleanup 7
Former Lithium Manufacturing Facility Cleaned Up with the Help of Innovative Partnerships 2008 St. Louis Park MN Revolving Loan Fund 5
Brownfields Redevelopment Provides Improved Social Services to Immigrant Hmong Community of St. Paul, Minnesota 2010 St. Paul MN Cleanup 5
Former Railroad Maintenance Facility Cleaned Up and Transformed into Nature Sanctuary 2008 St. Paul MN Cleanup 5
Habitat for Humanity Sees a Former Gas Station in Swanton, Vermont as a Perfect Fit for Residential Reuse 2008 Swanton VT Assessment 1
Former Textile Mill Cleaned Up and Transformed into Affordable Housing 2008 Taunton MA Cleanup 1
Hoquartron Natural Interpretive Trail Leads Community to Rediscover its History 2008 Tillamook OR Revolving Loan Fund 10
Weaving the Future from the Fabric of the Past 2012 Union SC Revolving Loan Fund 4
Former Brownfield Brings Opportunity for Physical Fitness 2010 West Monroe LA Assessment 6
Center Wheeling: Now Open for Business 2006 Wheeling WV Assessment 3
A Former Brownfield is Now Home to a Successful Brownfields Developer 2006 Wilmington DE Assessment 3
Disadvantaged Liberty Street Residents Trained for Environmental Jobs 2004 Winston-Salem NC Job Training 4
For Worcester, the New Gateway Park is an Impressive First Step in an Area-Wide Transformation 2009 Worcester MA Revolving Loan Fund 1
Uncovering a Long-Buried Prize in Downtown Yonkers: ""Daylighting"" the Saw Mill River 2011 Yonkers NY Assessment 2