There were no leftover sweets at the site of a former candy factory where the Monarch Property Group planned to build new townhomes. But there was some leftover soil contamination.

"It was a little bit daunting," said Monarch's Monique Short. "We didn't know the scope at first. The contamination actually went down 20 feet."

The process was made easier by Monarch's partnership with the brownfields experts in the City's Planning Department and the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA). They have the experience and skills to manage the assessment process and help plan cleanup, plus resources to pay for some of the costs. 

"If it wasn't for the brownfields program and OCURA, that land would just be sitting vacant. I don't think anyone could afford it," said Short.

Remediation involved removing 422 tons of contaminated soil and replacing it with clean dirt. OCURA contributed nearly $72,000 for site assessment and remediation, and the City contributed almost $16,000 for Phase I & II ESA and related costs. 

The finished products are pristine and modern townhomes on the inner northeast side.