Hollywood, FL. — The South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) has been awarded two new competitive grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) totaling $3.2 million to advance regional efforts in environmental cleanup, economic revitalization, and community resilience in Southeast Florida.
The awards include a $1.2 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant to assist the City of Miami Department of Real Estate & Asset Management, The Allapattah Collaborative, and the South Florida Community Land Trust with identifying and assessing properties that may be contaminated with hazardous substances. The grant will support the completion of 18 Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments, the development of eight cleanup plans and 10 reuse plans, and community engagement activities. These funds will help address environmental barriers to redevelopment and support the creation of multi-family housing in Liberty City; a Multi- Purpose Community Center / Community Resilience Hub in Allapattah which will provide extensive community benefits including entrepreneurship training, community kitchen, and emergency services in extreme heat; and potential contamination in West Coconut Grove.
In addition, SFRPC received a $2 million Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Supplemental Award through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to continue advancing brownfield cleanup and redevelopment efforts throughout the region. These funds will support the ongoing Park Road rehabilitation project at the former Hollywood Incinerator Ash Dump (HIAD) site in Hollywood, FL, a transformative public-private partnership that will convert the site into a vibrant, mixed-use community anchored by affordable housing, civic space, and neighborhood-serving retail.
“We’ve been waiting thirty years for this site to be funded. When I was a Hollywood City Commissioner, we were already applying and pushing to get it cleaned up. To see it finally move forward is incredible. I understand there are plans for a significant amount of housing to follow, which makes this an even bigger win for the community,” said the Honorable Quentin “Beam” Furr, Broward County Mayor and Board Member of the South Florida Regional Planning Council.
The SFRPC has administered an EPA-funded Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) since 2001. Through this program the SFRPC funds environmental site assessment, remediation, and subsequent redevelopment across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. SFRPC staff and technical consultants help borrowers achieve compliance with EPA requirements and provide them with information about financial incentives, such as tax credits, to support loan repayment.
Through the BCRLF, the SFRPC works in partnership with local and state agencies to leverage additional economic development tools—supporting projects that foster job creation, workforce housing, neighborhood-scale commercial redevelopment, and public health improvements. The program helps reduce investment risk and encourage redevelopment in communities historically overlooked for capital investment. Brownfields redevelopment projects funded through the SFRPC generate lasting regional impacts by stimulating the economy, enhancing community resilience, and expanding access to opportunity.
To learn more about the Council’s Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund or to inquire about available funding, please contact Senior Loan Officer, Jeffrey Tart at 954-924-3653 or jtart@sfrpc.com.