The Clearwater Brownfields Assessment Pilot target area, with approximately 220 potentially contaminated commercial, industrial, and residential properties located on more than 1,800 acres, has the distinction of being the first state-certified brownfields area in Florida. Among Clearwater’s many successful brownfields restoration projects is the site of a former gas station that was transformed into a free health clinic to serve the residents of North Greenwood, the largest minority community in the city, as well as one of the poorest.

Once EPA’s Brownfields Pilot had performed assessments on the property, the State of Florida provided $200,000 for cleanup of underground storage tanks and contaminated soil. An additional $320,000 from the state paid for construction of the new facility. Representatives of North Greenwood participated in redevelopment planning and voted unanimously for the city to lease the property for use as a nonprofit clinic. North Greenwood residents now have the Greenwood Community Health Resource Center, a free health facility offering immunizations, physicals, tests and screenings, flu shots, and health counseling services.

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