![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Showcase Communities Fact Sheet
Background The Brownfields Initiative was launched to empower states, local governments, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together to assess, clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Communities have asked for more coordination among all levels of government, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. The federal agencies participating in the Brownfields National Partnership will offer special technical, financial, and other assistance to selected communities. Brownfields Showcase Communities are models demonstrating the benefits of focused, coordinated attention on brownfields. The project is the centerpiece of the federal government's Brownfields Initiative and provides a pattern for future cooperative efforts in addressing other environmental and economic issues. Goals The goals of the Brownfields Showcase Communities project are to:
Community Benefits Communities are expected to benefit from designation as a Brownfields Showcase Community in a variety of ways. The communities benefit directly from targeted technical and financial assistance. A federal employee is assigned to each Showcase Community to assist with coordination of technical and financial support and to address the myriad of environmental issues. The Showcase Communities demonstrate successful brownfields activities, providing national visibility for a community's brownfields efforts. Showcase Communities have been recognized for their innovative and successful approaches to addressing brownfields and serve as role models for other communities facing similar situations and challenges. Participating agencies and programs vary for each Showcase Community depending on the particular community's needs and plans. For example, a large city might be served by different programs and resources than a small community. Financial assistance, technical support, and grants from participating agency programs are subject to the requirements of those programs. Federal Partners Federal agencies participating in the Brownfields Showcase Communities project include:
The Showcase Communities In October 2000, the following 12 Showcase Communities were designated. They include nine federally designated Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities, four small/rural communities, two tribes, and one Base Realignment and Closure Community (BRAC). Mystic Valley Development Commission, MA (Cities of Everett, Malden, and Medford) has joined three cities working on "Telecom City"-a regional technology development project aiming to move the three communities into the new economy. New Bedford, MA has created a successful brownfields program that provides a model for older port cities trying to clean up and revitalize their community. Niagara Region, NY includes the Cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls and the Counties of Niagara and Erie, forming a unique regional collaboration to reverse declining economic conditions through brownfields cleanup and redevelopment with a focus on the Niagara Region's role as an international portal. Cape Charles/Northampton County, VA's success in creating the nation's first eco-industrial park serves as a powerful example of how a small, impoverished rural community can bring economic opportunity to its citizens through brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Jackson, MS is revitalizing its downtown and preserving its heritage by cleaning up and redeveloping sites in the city's historic district-the oldest post-emancipation African-American residential and commercial area intact today. Milwaukee, WI is targeting the redevelopment of "mothballed," privately owned idled brownfields properties in the Menomonee Valley, using a new state statute that strengthens cities' bargaining power in negotiations with private property owners. St. Louis, MO/East St. Louis, IL are working to help foster bistate and bicity collaboration and revitalize the region through brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Houston, TX is using its brownfields program to redevelop city core properties and deal with sprawling urban expansion. Des Moines, IA's impressive coalition of public and private entities focusing on brownfields redevelopment has enabled the city to make progress in creating a more livable community through preserving farmland, creating jobs, and increasing the tax base. Denver, CO is expanding its successful brownfields redevelopment strategy into three of the city's low-income neighborhoods that have large minority populations and are heavily impacted by industrial uses. Gila River Indian Community, AZ, a small federally recognized tribe located adjacent to Phoenix and its sprawling growth, is tackling its need for jobs and affordable housing through brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, which includes a closed military base. Metlakatla Indian Community, AK, the remotely located home of the Metlakatla Indian Community, is a federally designated Enterprise Community that is promoting sustainable economic development through brownfields cleanup and redevelopment while restoring and protecting the Community's natural resources. The first round of 16 Showcase Communities, announced in March 1998, has leveraged more than $900 million in economic redevelopment funds. They are:
Contacts For more information regarding Brownfields Showcase Communities, please contact: EPA-Outreach and Special Projects Staff Or, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) | Quick Reference Fact Sheet | |||||||||||||||||||