City Council approves bid for EPA-backed brownfield grant

The Apopka City Council voted 5-0 yesterday to approve the process of applying for a $600,000 grant to redevelop parts of downtown Apopka which are deemed to be brownfield sites.

The grant comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and would require the City to join a coalition that includes the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC), Eustis, Kissimmee, and Longwood.

Dr. Shakenya Harris-Jackson, The Apopka Grant and Neighborhood Services Coordinator, is facilitating the application for the City, and is excited about its potential.

"It's a great opportunity for us to develop our downtown area," she said. "Brownfield sites are prime sites for re-development. Many large corporations pursue them and I think if we move towards this it will offer us an opportunity to attract some big developers for the downtown area."

According to the agenda packet provided by the City of Apopka, the EPA provides funding for local governments and non-profit groups to encourage property assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields in communities.

A brownfield is real property that may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

If the EPA Brownfield’s grant is awarded, the coalition (all cities) will enter into a sub-recipient agreement with ECFRPC, and funds will be divided amongst the coalition cities for assessments. City staff will work with the ECFRPC to identify priority sites in the Apopka downtown area.