The Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission is seeking public input as it begins assessing contaminated brownfields in areas that are difficult to redevelop after being awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The grant is scheduled to run from October through September 2030 and will be used initially to look at the Browning Road and Veterans Parkway corridor in unincorporated Sangamon County, the 10th Street Rail corridor in Springfield and the North Grand Avenue East corridor in Grandview.
Lisa Peterson, senior planner at the Regional Planning Commission, told Illinois Times the grant will hopefully open more doors for regional redevelopment as communities see fit. She also said the Commission is asking for community members to help inform the team of any land suspected of being contaminated.
“This grant is really the first step in a much longer process,” she said. “We’re looking forward to putting together a brownfield inventory. That’s going to be a really interesting part of this – just trying to determine where potential brownfield sites are throughout the county, and I know we will need community help to identify those locations.”
This was the third time the Regional Planning Commission applied for the annual grant cycle, which awarded nearly $250 million to almost 200 grantees in this round. Two other projects in Illinois were also awarded grants, but the Regional Planning Commission was awarded $1.5 million compared to Evanston and Vandalia’s $500,000 each. Illinois and Minnesota each received $2.5 million, the lowest sums of any Midwest state.
The Commission will use grant funds to hire an environmental professional and a community engagement consultant to help carry out operations. Peterson said the three areas already identified by the grant application face distinct issues.
“The Browning Road/Veterans Parkway corridor in unincorporated Sangamon County is likely contaminated from its historical use as a junkyard (with) car repair facilities,” she said. “It’s on the Spring Creek floodplain, a tributary of the Sangamon River, so it does pose a significant risk of water pollution that could affect nearby water sources, pose threats to surrounding agricultural operations or (cause) long-term habitat damage.”
Meanwhile, the 10th Street Rail corridor could be a potential spot for affordable housing and public space, as long as environmental concerns can be addressed.
“The active rail line poses some potential risk for contamination and the Ninth Street Peoria Road Master Corridor Plan does identify it as an opportunity site for potential housing and public green space,” Peterson said. “That plan envisions a mix of affordable brownstones, apartments and single-family homes but some of the brownfield conditions create some uncertainty for investment.
Finally, the North Grand Avenue East corridor in Grandview faces problems from older infrastructure.
“(North Grand Avenue in Grandview is) the key east-west connector for the Springfield area and it’s home to a mix of aging commercial and residential properties, former industrial sites and vacant parcels that create a barrier for reinvestment,” she said.
Peterson wants interested community members to be involved with the Commission’s plans.
“I just can’t stress enough the importance of community engagement through this process. We really want to make sure that the community is involved, that they’re aware of what is being done,” she said. “It is going to be a slow burn. It’s a four-year grant and, like I said, it’s step one in a much larger process.”
This article appears in August 6-12, 2026.
