In 2024, the U.S. EPA awarded MACOG and the Regional Brownfields Coalition its third grant to conduct environmental site assessments on potentially contaminated properties over the next four years. MACOG invites the public to participate through this project page: submit sites of interest, take surveys, and attend public meetings to provide input on cleanup and site reuse.

What is a Brownfield?

A brownfield is a property that is difficult to develop because it is contaminated or because of a perception that it may be contaminated.

Uncertainty = Risk

Often, the private sector is hesitant to develop a property with unknown cleanup costs. Uncertainty and contamination add costly delays in the development timeline. If a property is not actually contaminated, assessment can reduce this uncertainty as a barrier to development.

The Opportunity

The redevelopment of brownfields puts properties back to productive use, generating taxes or other benefits to communities. Many blighted properties are located near core areas and residential neighborhoods. These sites present opportunities for green space, affordable housing, and new jobs in close proximity to a potential workforce. The reuse of existing infrastructure is more efficient for local government budgets than expanding infrastructure to new areas.

MACOG is requesting input from communities and stakeholders on sites of interest in the region. The inventory of sites is prioritized by the local government working group to maximize benefits to the region.

Examples of potential sites include:

• Abandoned industrial sites, former dry cleaners, old gas stations, vacant schools, former hospitals
• Properties at community gateways and Main Street areas
• Abandoned or tax delinquent properties
• Privately owned properties where potential environmental issues are a barrier to the sale and redevelopment of the property
• Sites identified for acquisition by local governments to implement local plans

MACOG encourages the public and other local stakeholders to provide input into the process, from identifying sites, to cleanup options, and the final end for priority brownfields enrolled in the grant.

Inclusive Participation: Please contact MACOG if you face challenges participating online. Printed surveys can be mailed by request. If English is not your first language, ask someone to contact the MACOG office to request an interpreter or translated materials. (Si el inglés no es su primera lengua, pida a alguien que contacte a la oficina de MACOG para más información o solicitar un intérprete que le pueda asistir durante la reunión).

Upcoming Meetings:

None scheduled at this time.

• In 2020-2021, meetings were offered virtually and recorded. In later years, most meetings were held in-person.
  • Regional Meeting (2020) - Recording
  • Ward Bakery, South Bend, 2020
  • C.G. Conn, Elkhart: Meeting Recording, 2021
  
  
  
  

MACOG has expanded the South Bend Coalition Brownfields Data Portal to cover the four county region: Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall, and St. Joseph Counties.

The data portal includes:

• Sites assessed under current and previous grants
• Current Sites of Interest inventory
• Historic brownfields inventories
• Reports from grant-funded Phase I, Phase II investigations (See IDEM Virtual Filing Cabinet for all public documents for a site).
• IDEM Brownfields Program sites (See IndianaMAP Environment/Remediation layers for the latest version)
• Fire Insurance Maps (under development)
• Potential sites from South Bend city directories

New Webpage for City of Elkhart: Coming soon...

For more information about the MACOG Regional Brownfields Coalition and brownfields, see the resources below:

• MACOG Brownfields Basics Handout - En español
• EPA Understanding Brownfields Handouts - Assessments, Environmental Contaminants, Clean up, & Reuse Possibilities
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessments Overview
• KSU TAB Technical Assistance to Brownfields - Webinars, Workshops, & Educational Resources