In late 2019 the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Avondale joined forces to apply for a significant 2020 EPA grant to evaluate and clean-up brownfields (previously polluted or abandoned sites) along the Salt River. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and private sector experts have been strong advocates in the effort to leverage regional cooperation into multi-year funding. The cities have conducted inventories, secured technical support for priority sites, and formed a Brownfields Advisory Committee of community leaders to help inform future redevelopment of these sites. The City of Phoenix also pursued an EPA Revolving Loan Fund grant to provide funding for clean-up and reuse of strategic sites.

December 2020 Brownfields Webinar recording

Rio Reimagined PHX is a collaborative effort by the City of Phoenix and various property/business owners and community stakeholders to create a policy document that will help promote a 20-mile Rio Salado (Salt River) corridor as a local and regional destination that attracts positive investment for the benefit of existing/future businesses, residents, and tourists. This plan aims to be a key implementation component of the larger Rio Reimagined regional project.

Rio Reimagined PHX seeks to address outstanding needs in the area and create opportunities for housing, employment, recreation, art, and ecological restoration. The fi nal aim with this project is also to improve health outcomes for existing and future residents.