FLAGSTAFF — Property owners, business owners, developers, and community members are invited to nominate previously developed or used commercial and industrial properties and buildings for a free environmental assessment under the Route 66 Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant. Eligible properties may include those that are underutilized, vacant or abandoned, and are sometimes called “brownfields.”
The no-cost assessments can increase property value by helping to remove uncertainty, support reuse planning, and spur redevelopment in communities across the Route 66 corridor and northern Arizona. Enrollment is entirely voluntary, and since this is not an enforcement program, property owners who participate will not be required to undertake cleanup or remediation efforts if contaminants are discovered. Instead, the goal is to provide valuable information about the site’s condition and connect owners with potential resources or programs that may assist in voluntary remediation, if desired.
Twenty-five properties in Flagstaff have completed a free environmental assessment using this or similar brownfields assessment grants. The grant can be used to fund site inventories, community outreach, environmental site assessments, regulated building material (asbestos and lead-based paint) sampling, and cleanup and reuse planning.
When a property has an unknown or poorly documented history or prior use and existing conditions, it can be difficult to sell, lease, finance, or redevelop. Environmental assessments can help clarify conditions, reduce concerns about unknown liabilities, make properties more attractive to investors and developers, and provide information needed to pursue cleanup funding, reuse planning, or redevelopment.
“Free environmental assessments can help property owners understand what it will take to put vacant or underused properties back to work,” said Creag Znetko, City of Flagstaff Economic Development Administrator. “We encourage property owners and community members to nominate any property they think may fit. These assessments can help open the door to redevelopment, new housing, tourism opportunities, business growth and job creation throughout Flagstaff and Coconino County.”
Although plans originally called for funding to be available through September 2028, the NACOG Route 66 Brownfields grant is more than 50% expended. Since the money is only available for a limited time, on a first come, first served basis, owners should nominate their property as soon as possible if they wish to participate and benefit from the program.
For more information about the Northern Arizona Property Revitalization Program and to nominate a property, visit the NACOG Route 66 Brownfield Site Revitalization webpage or contact NACOG for a site nomination form.