Creating greenspace from brownfield properties is a 

growing component of EPA’s Brownfields Program. Along with 

the commercial, residential, and industrial redevelopment of 

brownfields, restoring these properties to greenspace has become 

an increasingly viable option. Reusing brownfields as greenspace 

can benefit a surrounding community in ways that traditional 

redevelopment projects can not: offering aesthetic appeal, restored 

natural habitat, and outdoor recreational options.

Oftentimes, municipalities and nonprofit groups work to transform 

brownfields into greenspace that is accessible to all members of 

the community. For many nonprofit groups, EPA’s Brownfields 

Program provides much-needed gap funding to make these 

projects a reality, and the resulting community benefits cannot be 

measured by economic indicators. But whether it is a nonprofit, 

a city, a redevelopment agency, or some other entity steering the 

process, everyone benefits from added greenspace in a community. 

Greenspace is the Place to Start in Fitchburg 

In the Boston suburb of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the 

transformation of the old Hope Rubber Company factory into 

a recreational park has jump-started a series of redevelopment 

projects throughout the city. In 2001, the City of Fitchburg used 

a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant to assess the site 

of the former rubber factory that closed in the 1990s after a long 

history of industrial use. The site contained a 35,000 squarefoot building that had burned down, leaving a pile of rubble and 

unknown contamination. Following assessments, more than 150 

cubic yards of contaminated material were removed, and the 

affected area was covered with 18 inches of clean soil. The new 

park opened in 2003.

The design and construction of Fitchburg’s Riverfront Park was 

a collaborative effort that included a citizen’s committee, the 

city and its redevelopment authority, local business leaders, and 

federal agencies. The 1.6-acre park runs along the Nashua River 

and contains a promenade, benches, and open lawn that provides 

Greenspace

continued 

JUST THE FACTS:

• Greenspace can include parks (for 

people and pets), open space, trails, 

nature sanctuaries, and recreational 

sports areas.

• With the proper cleanup activities, 

even brownfields properties 

contaminated with petroleum can 

be safely reused as greenspace.

• Greenspace can serve as 

neighborhood gathering spaces for 

youth and adults to build a sense of 

community.

“We are fans of greenspace. 

Our focus is on getting people 

to think about Fitchburg as 

a place to live.” 

– Steve Bonavita,

Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority

Greenspace Uses for 

Brownfields Properties:

It Is Easy Being Green

The former Hope Rubber Plant in Fitchburg, Massachusetts 

has been converted to the new Riverfront Park.
Brownfields Success Story Solid Waste EPA 560-F-10-207 

Greenspace Uses for Brownfields Properties: and Emergency July 2010

It Is Easy Being Green Response (5105T) www.epa.gov/brownfields/

a touch of green to downtown Fitchburg. Future plans include the installation of a band shell for 

music and other performances, an overlook to the river, and additional seating. 

Riverfront Park’s success has spurred additional redevelopment efforts in the city, such as 

renovating North Street, a major thoroughfare in the city; working to improve downtown traffic 

patterns and parking; developing a river walk; and assessing additional brownfields within the 

city to engage developers. The Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority received EPA Brownfields 

grants in 2003 and 2005 to assess other properties that the city and the Authority are targeting 

for potential redevelopment. As said by Steve Bonavita of the Redevelopment Authority, 

“We are fans of greenspace. Our focus is on getting people to think about Fitchburg as a place 

to live.” 

Recreational Greenspace Benefits Youth in Atlanta

The Atlanta Youth Soccer Association (AYSA) in Atlanta, Georgia, began its brownfields 

cleanup and redevelopment project with the end goal in mind. A few years ago, the chosen site 

was an abandoned truck depot; now this recreational greenspace comprises 7.5 acres of fullscale soccer fields, smaller fields for warm up, a concession stand, and a maintenance building. 

AYSA is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that acquired the property to build a soccer 

complex for its league. The organization raised nearly $2 million from Georgia philanthropic 

foundations, the local community, and its members; however, due to the location of the property 

and county zoning, it was not eligible for any local or state funding to assist in assessment and 

or cleanup. EPA’s Brownfields Program filled this funding gap with a $200,000 Cleanup grant 

in 2004. AYSA President Janet Gross said of the EPA funding, “EPA was a great legitimizer for 

our project. The EPA funding gave us some status because it showed that we passed a level of 

scrutiny in a national competition.” 

Using the Cleanup grant, AYSA addressed the 10-acre property, which had underground storage 

tanks, asphalt paving, a loading dock, and four large outbuildings comprising the former truck 

terminal. A portion of the grant was used to demolish most of the paving (paving was not 

removed where the new parking lot sits), the dock structure, and outbuildings. The grant was 

also used to address five known, and one hidden, underground storage tanks. Once cleanup 

began, contractors found additional buried debris, asbestos, and a granite slab; however, no soil 

or water contamination was discovered. All of the property’s debris was either ground up and 

safely covered, or removed from the property entirely. Additional funding for the cleanup effort 

came from AYSA’s own fundraising efforts. AYSA worked diligently with EPA to complete the 

project more than a year before the targeted completion date. 

AYSA’s soccer fields are currently open for league play. This recreational greenspace project 

is an innovative reuse for an abandoned brownfield that had been of no value to anyone. 

Additionally, the AYSA Arizona Avenue Youth Soccer Complex provides a safe and healthy 

haven to the more than 1,000 children that participate in Atlanta youth soccer. 

continued 
Brownfields Success Story Solid Waste EPA 560-F-10-207 

Greenspace Uses for Brownfields Properties: and Emergency July 2010

It Is Easy Being Green Response (5105T) www.epa.gov/brownfields/

CONTACTS:

For more information contact

EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land

Revitalization: (202) 566-2777

Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at:

www.epa.gov/brownfields/

Greenspace as Nature Sanctuary in St. Paul 

In St. Paul, Minnesota, the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary provides 

serene greenspace for urban residents. Since 1997 several local 

units of government in the Twin Cities metropolitan area have 

received EPA Brownfields Program grants, and in 2003 the City 

of St. Paul received two Cleanup grants totaling $400,000 to 

clean up hazardous substances and petroleum on property along 

the Mississippi River. The targeted property, a 27-acre parcel of 

land close to downtown St. Paul, had become covered with trash, 

abandoned appliances, and contaminated soil. The property was 

once a railyard and was known to be contaminated with heavy 

metals and petroleum.

A community group, the Lower Phalen Creek Project, recognized the potential of this site and 

worked to secure funding, perform cleanup, and reuse the property as open space. The Lower 

Phalen Creek Project is a public/private partnership composed of more than 20 organizations 

whose goal to turn this blighted property into the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and link it to 

an existing trail system was realized in 2005. The project leveraged funding from the National 

Park Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Trust for Public Land 

to acquire and convey the land to the City of St. Paul. The city used its EPA Cleanup grant 

to clean up hazardous substances on a portion of the property designated for recreation, and 

to clean up petroleum from a portion designated for conservation. This cleanup included the 

removal of 7,500 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, the redistribution of 20,000 tons of 

soil, and the replacement of another 25,000 tons of soil to cover the property. 

After cleanup, much of the property was restored as natural habitat, with 10 acres 

set aside for recreational purposes. The property now provides a continuous 

natural area along the river from Indian Mounds Regional Park to Swede 

Hollow Park. The Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary is maintained by the 

city and is currently open to the public; wetlands projects, plantings, 

and other restoration activities will continue for several years to come. 

This project is a classic tale of greenspace redevelopment—restoring a 

contaminated natural property in a prime location to its proper use. 

The Future is Green

One of the four pillars of EPA’s Brownfields Program is Sustainable 

Reuse, which translates to enhancing a community’s long-term quality of 

life. As long as communities continue to regard the redevelopment of former 

brownfields into greenspace as important, the amount of greenspace will increase. 

And the more greenspace a community has, the healthier it is. With technical support from 

EPA and other federal, state, and local agencies, greenspace projects will continue to be a 

viable reuse option for brownfields. 

Bruce Vento Park in St. Paul, Minnesota.