What are brownfields? 

Brownfields are underused or abandoned properties with confirmed or possible environmental contaminants that complicate development opportunities.

Brownfields can include land or buildings containing asbestos, mold or other pollutants. This often includes former industrial and commercial operations like gas stations, dry cleaning facilities, grain elevators, landfills and oilfields.

Private-public partnerships often catalyze the transition of such properties from blighted to vibrant. Oklahoma City’s Brownfields Program supports redeveloping urban properties by providing site assessments and remediation assistance.

Brownfields Program benefits

Completing a Phase I Site Assessment before the purchase of a property generally fulfills the All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) requirement. Fulfilling AAI is a critical step in protecting a future landowner’s liability with respect to contamination. In the event the Phase I identifies the possible presence of contamination, the Brownfields Program may be able to provide a Phase II environmental investigation that will provide a more accurate assessment.

If a property has environmental concerns, developers can run into difficulty obtaining standard bank financing due to liability. In such cases, the Brownfields Program has a revolving loan fund to provide low-interest gap financing for environmental clean-up activities.

The Brownfields Program also supports nonprofit organizations' development with projects through technical assistance and clean-up grants.

What our brownfields program provides

Financial Resources

  • Environmental Site assessments at no cost for qualifying redevelopment projects in Oklahoma City
  • Loans to developers for environmental clean-up to aid redevelopment
  • Discounted Loans to nonprofit organizations for environmental clean-up to aid redevelopment

Technical Guidance

  • Identification of Brownfields
  • Consultations with property owners, developers & prospective purchasers
  • Assistance with state or federal regulatory agency programs
  • Phase I/II site assessments
  • Review of environmental documentation on redevelopment sites

For an application and program information, click here.

Brownfields success stories in OKC