FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff property owners, businesses and citizens are invited to a free lunch-n-learn event at City Hall (211 W Aspen Ave) on Jan. 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The City has access to money that can be used for revitalizing properties at no cost to owners.
Two-hundred thousand dollars in funding remains from a grant awarded to the City by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of a property revitalization program. Money is available to property owners on a first come, first served basis until Sept. 30, 2023. Ideal candidates to receive funding include owners of previously utilized properties and older buildings that could be reused, redeveloped, or renovated but where such work may be complicated by the potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The vast majority of the 22 properties already assessed with this grant have had little or no contamination, and the free services the grant funded generated interest from banks, investors, developers and potential purchasers. Property owners who receive a free assessment have no obligation to take any additional action.
“The goal is to transform properties that can be a liability into an asset by helping to remove the barriers to redevelopment and reuse,” says City of Flagstaff Community Investment Director David McIntire. “This grant will help address unknown site conditions and create shovel ready sites, while also protecting public health and the environment. We are now at the stage where we need help from the public to identify additional properties that can benefit from this free program.”
Those interested in attending the lunch-n-learn event should RSVP to Creag Znetko, Economic Vitality Administrative Specialist, by Jan. 26 at cznetko@flagstaffaz.gov. More information on the grant program can be found at https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/1760/Economic-Development. For related questions, please contact Creag Znetko at cznetko@flagstaffaz.gov