Pinellas Receives Grant To Clean Up Waste Sites In Lealman

LEALMAN, FL -- Pinellas County has been awarded a $300,000 Brownfields Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to be used primarily in Lealman to assess contaminated and unused properties for redevelopment potential.

County Commissioner Pat Gerard accepted the grant at a recognition ceremony Wednesday in Tampa.

Brownfields are properties, often in under-served areas, that may be contaminated with hazardous substances that can pose a barrier to redevelopment. The EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and reuse brownfields. Pinellas County is one of 149 communities to receive a portion of $64.6 million in program funding this year.

“This Brownfield Grant provides funding for us to assess stigmatized properties that otherwise are ignored during redevelopment efforts,” said Teri Hasbrouck, environmental program coordinator for Pinellas County Real Estate Management. “We are improving the health of the community by identifying properties that need to be cleaned up, sustainably redeveloped, and participate in the economic growth of the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area.”

“This Brownfield Grant is another important accomplishment in our Lealman CRA Plan,” said Gerard. “Since establishing Lealman as our first CRA in 2015, Pinellas County has worked to improve quality of life and help revitalize this important community.”

Other Pinellas County initiatives serving the Lealman community include:

• Pinellas County Public Works projects to reduce flooding, add sidewalks and improve lighting.
• The recently completed Linking Lealman Action Plan, which focuses on upgrading infrastructure and improving safety for all modes of transportation.
• Form-Based Code that encourages redevelopment by putting less emphasis on the use inside the building and more on building form and placement, location of parking and treatment of public and private spaces.
• The Lealman Exchange, a community center located on the site of the former Windsor Preparatory Academy, which houses a YMCA and preschool academy, as well as the Excellerated Teaching Center and the Broach School, both of which provide educational services for special needs children.