Brownfield (noun): a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
From former gas stations and stripmall drycleaners to shuttered factories and farms, brownfields come in many forms. They exist in urban, suburban, and rural areas and may be owned by a municipality or a private owner. What they have in common is prior use that may have left behind contamination such as: asbestos, lead, petroleum, or pesticides.
Grant funding is available to help you identify your brownfields and shepherd them to beneficial reuse. The Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR ‘See Clear’) is here to advise and support at every step of the process. Our organization has been doing this work for 25 years, giving us the experience you need to move your brownfield from blight to bright future.
How CCLR Helps
Brownfields 101 Training
- Answers questions such as: What is a brownfield? What are characteristics of a brownfield? How do I locate my community’s brownfields? What funding is available for brownfield redevelopment?
- Available for those who have never worked with brownfields and/or managed a brownfields grant.
- Beginning guide to understanding the brownfields redevelopment process.
- Develop understanding of liability including CERCLA and the Brownfields Law.
- Introductory information on EPA Grants and other funding sources in your state and region.
- Peer Group Facilitation
- New team member onboarding
Redevelopment Planning
- Identify, inventory, and prioritize brownfields for redevelopment.
- Create strategic plans, work plans, and set goals for property reuse.
- Assist communities with demographics research, health, and environmental data to:
- Identify sensitive populations that may be impacted by exposure to hazardous substances
- Prioritize projects
- Support compelling grant submissions
- Conduct economic market and feasibility analyses for brownfields properties.
- Help practitioners assess and analyze existing plans and conditions to inform area-wide redevelopment plans.
- Evaluate the potential reuse of existing infrastructure and identify sites that can help spur economic and community development.
What We Do
CCLR maintains a library of resources including Federal and State contacts, past webinars, and professional guides.
CCLR hosts in-person events and webinars on a wide variety of brownfield and reuse related topics.
CCLR provides one-on-one technical assistance to eligible entities and organizations on every aspect of brownfield reuse.
Our Impact
Joelle Greenland, AICP
Senior Planning Consultant
Joelle, a certified planner, has been in the brownfields arena for over 30 years and is a brownfields redevelopment expert. Having written, secured and managed all types of EPA brownfields grants (including an RLF), she has a deep understanding of grant writing/management, procurement, visioning and the redevelopment process.
Ignacio Dayrit
Lead Program Consultant
Ignacio, a redevelopment expert, coordinates CCLR’s technical assistance program, drawing from his 20-year tenure with the City of Emeryville’s Redevelopment Agency. His extensive 30+-year public sector development experience encompasses financial analysis, financing, feasibility analyses, project and program management, and urban design. Instrumental in the city’s redevelopment of blighted, contaminated property, Ignacio holds degrees in Architecture and City Planning.
Claire Weston
Senior Program Manager
Claire manages CCLR’s EPA cooperative agreements, leading program development, strategy, reporting, and success story preparation. She has extensive EPA grant management experience and oversees workshop/webinar planning, resource development, and partnership cultivation in CCLR’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Provider role. Prior to CCLR, Claire directed public outreach initiatives and coordinated citizen science programs in upstate NY.
Lujain Altawarah
Program Associate
Lujain focuses on programming development and coordination at CCLR. She began her journey in sustainability during college, coordinating programs on climate resilience and community empowerment. With a passion for promoting sustainable societies globally, Lujain aims to leverage her language skills and cultural knowledge. She brings expertise in curriculum development and project management.
Norman Wright, AICP
Senior Technical Consultant
Norm, former local government executive, led planning, economic development, and redevelopment efforts for 18 years across diverse locations in the “Lower 48.” His teams achieved national recognition, receiving awards from industry groups like the American Planning Association and Urban Land Institute. Norm holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from Clemson, specializing in spatial modeling through Geographic Information Systems.
A curated list of CCLR’s trainings to build a strong foundation of brownfield knowledge.
Most land reuse projects can utilize brownfield grants! Learn more in our introduction to brownfields blog post.
Continue on to the next Services section with more information on brownfields grants and programs.
