United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5105)
EPA 500-F-00-240
October 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
vvEPA
Brownfields Showcase
Communities
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is
complicated by real or perceived contamination. In May 1997, Vice President Gore announced a Brownfields National
Partnership to bring together the resources of more than 15 federal agencies to address local cleanup and reuse issues in
a more coordinated manner. In 1998, this multi-agency partnership designated 16 "Brownfields Showcase Communities"—
models demonstrating the benefits of collaborative activity on brownfields. In October 2000, the partnership selected 12
additional "Brownfields Showcase Communities" to continue the success of the initiative. The Brownfields Showcase
Communities are distributed across the country and vary by size, resources, and community type. A wide range of support
will be leveraged, depending on the particular needs of each Showcase Community.
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:
Promote environmental protection and restoration,
economic redevelopment, job creation, community
revitalization, and public health protection through
the assessment, cleanup, and sustainable reuse of
brownfields;
Link federal, state, local, and non-governmental
action supporting community efforts to restore and
reuse brownfields; and
Develop national models demonstrating the
positive results of public and private collaboration
in addressing brownfields challenges.
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
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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:
• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
• Department of Agriculture (USD A)
- U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
- Rural Development (RD)
• Department of Commerce (DOC)
• Economic Development Administration (EDA)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
(NOAA)
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE)
• Department of Education (ED)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
• Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS)
- National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS)
- Agency for Toxic Substance and
Disease Registry (ATSDR)
• Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD)
• Department of the Interior (DOI)
- National Park Service (NPS)
- Office of Surface Mining (OSMRE)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
• Department of Justice (DO J)
• Department of Labor (DOL)
• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Department of the Treasury (Treasury)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC)
• Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB)
• General Services Administration (GSA)
• Small Business Administration (SBA)
The Brownfields Showcase Communities
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Brownfields Showcase Communities
October 2000
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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, Maiden, andMedford) 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-
oldest post-emancipation African-American
residential and commercial area intact today.
-the
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, TXis using its brownfields program to
redevelop city core properties and deal with
sprawling urban expansion.
DesMoines, lA'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.
Brownfields Showcase Communities
October 2000
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The first round of 16 Showcase Communities,
announced in March 1998, has leveraged more than
$900 million in economic redevelopment funds.
They are:
Baltimore, MD
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
East Palo Alto, CA
Eastward Ho!
(Southeast FL)
Glen Cove, NY
Kansas City, KS/MO
Los Angeles, CA
Lowell, MA
Portland, OR
The State of Rhode Island/
Providence
St. Paul, MN
Salt Lake City, UT
Seattle/King County, WA
Stamford, CT
Trenton, NJ
Contacts
For more information regarding Brownfields Showcase
Communities, please contact:
EPA-Outreach and Special Projects Staff
(202) 260-4039
Or, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/showcase.htm
Brownfields Showcase Communities
October 2000
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