Courtesy photo.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff seek nominations for commercial and industrial properties that could benefit from a free environmental assessment.
These assessments are typically performed on underutilized and vacant or abandoned buildings and properties to help speed their potential redevelopment and reuse.
In 2024, Coconino County and the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) was awarded a $1,500,000 grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program to benefit the counties of Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai as well as all their cities and towns including Flagstaff, Prescott, Camp Verde, Kingman, Show Low, and Winslow. The grant’s primary purpose is to aid the transformation of local properties from liabilities into community assets.
The grant provides the means for approved sites to have a free Phase I and/or Phase II environmental assessment, or asbestos and lead-based paint sampling of buildings, and to develop cleanup plans for future redevelopment opportunities. Importantly, all information is provided to the owner and there is no obligation for a action.
When a property has an unknown or poorly documented history, it can be difficult to sell, lease, or receive financing to establish or expand a business. This grant eliminates concerns about unknown environmental liabilities and makes properties more attractive and valuable to investors, buyers and developers. It also makes it easier for owners to secure funding.
Grant funding for the Northern Arizona Property Reuse and Redevelopment Program will be available through September 2028 or until the funds are exhausted. Since the funds are available on a first–come, first–served basis, property owners, business owners, developers and community members are encouraged to complete and submit a Site Nomination form as soon as possible. For more information about the program and to nominate a property visit, nacog.org/brownfield-program-in-action.