Brownfields Assistance Centers Celebrate 20 Years of Revitalization

The West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers at West Virginia University and Marshall University were created in 2005 by the West Virginia Legislature. Their mission is to promote economic development and environmental and public health protection through innovative redevelopment of brownfield sites. The Centers collaborate and coordinate closely to provide training and technical assistance, facilitate site preparation efforts, engage community stakeholders, and identify and pursue project funding.

Brownfields are defined as any property whose redevelopment is complicated by the real or perceived presence of environmental contamination. Brownfields exist in every community, and the Centers have been working with communities to redevelop these sites to meet community needs and priorities since their creation. Brownfields can start as a wide range of properties, including gas stations, glass factories, dry cleaners, formerly mined land, and industrial facilities, and be redeveloped into an equally diverse range of reuses, from green space and recreation to housing to commercial or industrial use.

This documentary, 20 Years of Brownfields, details the story of how the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers were founded and the impact they have had on the state, region, and beyond over the past 20 years. Highlights include services provided by the Centers, as well as the importance of brownfield redevelopment to community health, economic development, and the environment. Sites featured in the video include the Staats Hospital in Charleston and Tygart Hotel in Elkins.