COCONINO COUNTY — Property owners are encouraged to apply for a free environmental assessment through the Northern Arizona Property Revitalization Program.
More than three dozen free environmental assessments have been completed in Coconino, Mohave, Navajo and Yavapai counties as part of the Northern Arizona Property Revitalization Program.
The no-cost assessments can increase property values by helping to support reuse planning and spur redevelopment in communities across the Route 66 corridor and northern Arizona. Enrollment is entirely voluntary and property owners are not required to spend any money or take any action once they receive their free assessment report.
“Free environmental assessments can be the first step toward returning properties to productive use,” Coconino County District 1 Supervisor and Board Chair Patrice Horstman said. “We encourage property owners and community members to nominate sites now so we can continue building momentum for redevelopment, historic preservation, housing, tourism, business attraction and job creation.”
The grant can be used to fund site inventories, community outreach, environmental site assessments, asbestos and lead-based paint sampling and cleanup, and reuse planning. The program benefits communities along and near Route 66 as well as other communities within the four-county area.
When a property has a poorly documented history, it can be difficult to sell, lease, finance or redevelop. Environmental assessments can help reduce concerns about liabilities, make properties more attractive to investors and developers, and provide information needed to pursue cleanup funding, reuse planning or redevelopment.
The program is funded by a $1.5 million grant to the Northern Arizona Council of Governments and Route 66 Brownfield Coalition partners. Funding is available through September 2028 or until fully expended. Since the grant is more than 50 percent expended, owners should nominate their property as soon as possible.
For more information about the program and to nominate a property, visit nacog.org/fact-sheets-for-property-owners-public.