The benefits of redeveloping brownfields

Redeveloping brownfields improves public health by cleaning up contamination, turns former blight into new opportunity, saves undisturbed land from development, and more. Get inspired by browsing our brownfield success stories below!

Success stories

Public Market sign in front of the renovated warehouse that's on top of a cleaned up landfill.

With help from an Ecology Integrated Planning Grant, the City of Wenatchee redeveloped the Worthen Street landfill into Pybus Public Market. Located on the Columbia River waterfront, the former landfill was an ideal place to fulfill the community's vision of building a gathering place for locals and tourists alike. Watch the video.

Why redevelop brownfields?

When communities clean up and redevelop brownfields properties, they can:

  • Stimulate a community's economy, create more jobs, and increase local tax base. 
  • Provide healthy sites for community priorities such as affordable housing.
  • Turn their community's perceived problem into an asset and improve their image. 
  • Enable efficient land use and minimize the construction of new service infrastructure.
  • Facilitate the resolution of environmental justice issues.
  • Protect human and environmental health, and mitigate public health and safety concerns. 
  • Provide opportunities for habitat restoration, parks, or other public spaces.