The story of how the new Steelyard Apartments came to be is a simple one, if you ask developer Gary Brooks -- at least, as far as environmental remediation is concerned.

"Without the City managing this brownfields process for me, there would be no Steelyard. It would not have existed," said Brooks of the sparkling new apartment complex near Bricktown. "There's no chance I could have come in here with my knowledge and my team to build apartments on that site."

Historical photos and other evidence revealed the site had been littered with oil pumps during Oklahoma City's infancy and was later the location of a rail yard turntable for locomotives. Plus the soil made environmental contamination even more widespread.

"It was on sand, so instead of finding contamination at 5 feet, you'll find it at 25 feet," said Brooks. "You probably can't do a site like this without assistance."

The City's brownfields experts in the Planning Department managed the assessment and remediation plans. The City also facilitated a $1.3 million loan for remediation, and covered the assessment costs.

The Steelyard includes 250 apartments in Phase I and 150 in Phase II, expanding the urban living opportunities for Oklahoma City residents on a site that would be unused without remediation.

"What I got from the City that I didn't expect was the experts to quarterback me through a process I didn't have any experience with," said Brooks.