Highland County is one of four recipients of a site remediation grant from the Virginia Brownfields Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assist Fund. The $341,586 award is for the Highland Inn property and was the largest grant in this cycle. The total awarded was just over $1 million.
The Accomack-Northampton Transportation District Commission received $280,750; the Town of Chase City received $232,002; and Gloucester County received $150,000.
The VBAF provides either grants or loans to local governments to restore and redevelop brownfield sites and address environmental problems or obstacles to their reuse in an effort to effectively attract new economic development prospects.
Brownfields are properties in which redevelopment or reuse is complicated by the presence of hazardous materials, pollution or contaminants.
Administered by the Virginia Resources Authority, the VBAF is a partnership between the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Department of Environmental Quality.
“We are doubling down on investments in sites to enhance the Commonwealth’s sites inventory, and the Virginia Brownfields Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund enables localities to redevelop and improve properties in need of remediation so they can be considered for future economic development opportunities,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Each step towards increasing our sites portfolio helps Virginia compete to win, and we are proud to support rural development in Accomack-Northampton County, Chase City, Gloucester County and Highland County with these grants.”
The site remediation grants will cover efforts that include remediation of a contaminated property to remove hazardous substances and wastes, demolition and removal of existing structures, and other site work necessary to make a site or property usable for new economic development.
In addition to site remediation grants, site assessment grants are available to communities for assistance with environmental and cultural resource site assessments and the development of remediation and reuse plans.
Since its inception in 2011, the VBAF has awarded more than $17.1 million in grants to restore brownfield sites.
For more information on the Virginia Brownfield Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund, visit vedp.org/brownfields.
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Crystal Graham
