10/13/2026
36 + Properties In 12 Cities Receive No-Cost Assessments: Space Available For Limited Time To Enroll In Program
Yavapai County, AZ — Since April 2025, free environmental assessments of more than 3 dozen properties have been completed in the counties of Yavapai, Coconino, Mohave, and Navajo as part of a regional property revitalization program. The program is funded by a $1.5 million grant to the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) and the four-county Route 66 Brownfield Coalition partners to identify and provide funding and technical assistance to anyone wishing to reuse, revitalize, redevelop and/or sell their property or older buildings.
Yavapai County is appealing to property owners, business owners, developers and community members to nominate previously developed or used commercial and industrial properties and buildings for a free assessment, including but not limited to those that are underutilized, vacant or abandoned, sometimes called brownfields.
No-cost assessments can increase property value by helping to remove uncertainty, support reuse planning and spur redevelopment in communities in northern Arizona. Enrollment is entirely voluntary, and since this is not an enforcement program, property owners who participate will not be required to undertake cleanup or remediation efforts if contaminants are discovered. Instead, the goal is to provide valuable information about the site’s condition and connect owners with potential resources or programs that may assist in voluntary remediation, if desired.
The grant can be used to fund site inventories, community outreach, environmental site assessments, regulated building material (asbestos and lead-based paint) sampling, and cleanup and reuse planning. The program has already benefited several communities in the four-county area including Prescott, Ash Fork, Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Yarnell, Flagstaff, Kingman, Holbrook, and Winslow.
When a property has an unknown or poorly documented history or prior use and existing conditions, it can be difficult to sell, lease, finance, or redevelop. Environmental assessments can help clarify conditions, reduce concerns about unknown liabilities, make properties more attractive to investors and developers, and provide information needed to pursue cleanup funding, reuse planning, or redevelopment.
“No-cost environmental assessments can be the first practical step toward returning vacant or underused properties to productive use,” said Jacob Armstrong, Yavapai County Development Services Director. “We encourage property owners and community members to nominate sites now so Yavapai County can continue building momentum for redevelopment, historic preservation, housing, tourism, business attraction and job creation.”
Although plans originally called for funding to be available through September 2028, the NACOG Route 66 brownfields grant is more than 50% expended. Since the money is only available for a limited time, on a first come, first served basis, owners should nominate their property as soon as possible if they wish to participate and benefit from the program.
For more information about the Northern Arizona Property Revitalization Program and to nominate a property, visit the NACOG Route 66 Brownfield Site Revitalization webpage or contact NACOG for a site nomination form.
