Flagstaff and Coconino County are on the hunt for commercial and industrial properties in need of an environmental facelift, and they're offering free assessments for spots that could use a little—or a lot—of environmental love. The goal is to breathe new life into underused, vacant, or downright derelict properties that are dragging down their locales instead of contributing to the community.
In a substantial push for local redevelopment, the area has been bolstered by a cool $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program; the generous funds are aimed at counties like Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai and the cities and towns within, including but not limited to Flagstaff, Prescott, Camp Verde, Kingman, Show Low, and Winslow, according to a post on the County website. These assessments peel back the layers of a site's environmental past, offering clarity and a path forward for repurposing these spaces.
Property owners who feel their assets are getting the cold shoulder due to environmental uncertainties are in luck; this grant provides the means to conduct free Phase I and/or Phase II environmental assessments, or asbestos and lead-based paint sampling, and develop cleanup plans that can transform potential monetary sinks into viable, valuable investments. The reassurances that the grant affords to property owners could be the key to turning abandoned eyesores into community treasures.
Economic allure like this doesn't go unnoticed for long, and since the deal operates on a first–come, first–served basis, developers, business owners, community members, essentially anyone with a property that fits the bill, are urged to step forward with their nominations pronto, as the initiative runs only until September 2028 or until the funds are used up, whichever comes first, the County's announcement made it clear. To get in on this opportunity and for additional details about the Northern Arizona Property Reuse and Redevelopment Program, folks are encouraged to hop over to nacog.org and fill out a Site Nomination form.
