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EPA Brownfields Grant Spurs Denison Redevelopment Plans

May 13, 2022 | Denison, Iowa

HR Green is excited to announce that its municipal grant writing services have assisted the City of Denison, Iowa in securing a $400,000 EPA Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant. The funds will help inventory, prioritize, assess, and conduct reuse planning on underutilized properties. Denison was one of three cities in Iowa to receive a FY22 brownfields program grant.

Denison is a rural town of 8,373 located along the Boyer River in western Iowa. Its history is deeply rooted in farming which formed a steady, but narrow, early economic foundation. A severe agricultural recession in the 1980s dramatically shook the community leading many agri-businesses to close or downsize their workforces. Supporting commercial retail enterprises also suffered resulting in shuttered storefronts. This decline contributed to a population decrease including a notable outmigration of individuals aged 25-29. Consequences continue to be felt today.

Targeted brownfields are largely sited along a declining industrial corridor between Lincoln Highway and railroad tracks to the north and south, respectively, as well as along a key commercial node stretching Avenue C. Work completed under this grant will facilitate their redevelopment in a sustainable manner that strengthens neighborhoods, creates jobs, and generates tax revenue.

“On behalf of the Mayor and City Council of the City of Denison, Iowa, we are very excited to partner with the EPA on the award of a Brownfield Assessment Grant. This is our first Brownfields project, and we are anxious to take full advantage of the opportunity. The federal Brownfields fund allows us to proactively protect the environment and the health of our citizens, while helping to transition blighted or underutilized properties into assets that strengthen our community. Reinvesting sustainably within our existing footprint will eliminate costly infrastructure extensions, create jobs, and generate additional sources of tax revenue.”
– Terry Crawford, City Engineer | Denison, Iowa

HR Green has a long history of positioning clients to receive these highly competitive federal funds. Since 2000, HR Green has written 40 successful grant applications resulting in 60 individual grants that leveraged $14.2 million in assessment, cleanup, revolving loan, and area-wide planning funds. EPA anticipates releasing its FY23 Brownfields Program grant guidelines in the fall. Please contact Steve Prideaux or Rose Amundson for assistance in positioning your community to receive the funds.

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