Downtown Development / Brownfields

City of El Cajon and El Cajon CDC Receive $200,000 Grant from EPA to Investigate Brownfields!

Scope of the Problem:

Brownfields are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial properties where development is complicated by environmental contamination. They include abandoned gas stations, former industrial sites, closed dry cleaners, and municipal dumps – more than just abandoned or underutilized properties, these sites become the eyesores and stigma for a community in transition. Declining property values, the increase of crime at abandoned sites, and potential risks to public health and safety stand as the most compelling reasons to accurately assess the problems and potential for redevelopment. The remediation and reuse of these sites provide considerable benefits, including:

• Growth of local tax base and jobs
• Protection of public health and the environment
• Transformation of abandoned properties into community assets!

Opportunities:

The City of El Cajon’s Redevelopment Agency was awarded a grant to conduct an assessment of Downtown El Cajon. El Cajon CDC administered the grant to conduct an area-wide environmental assessment in order create solutions for these problem areas. As partners, the program has:

• Identify all appropriate uses for particular sites and sources for assistance and funding if remediation is required
• Develop an interactive online GIS database with property profiles for every parcel in Downtown El Cajon
• Remove blight by converting underutilized properties into productive commercial and mixed-use projects
• Apply for future assistance and grow a program to address additional unknown releases of hazardous waste