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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 17, 2025
EGLE Media Office, EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov, 517-284-9278
Josef Greenberg Stephens, EGLE Spokesperson, GreenbergJ@Michigan.gov, 517-897-4965
State invests $77 million in brownfield funding to help more Michigan communities revitalize contaminated sites
Dearborn event highlights brownfield redevelopment and the projects transforming neighborhoods across the state
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Director Phil Roos joined Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, Representative Alabas Farhat, and other state and local leaders today for a tour and roundtable in Dearborn to highlight how state investments in brownfield redevelopment are helping communities turn contaminated properties into places where people can live, work and thrive.
EGLE’s FY26 state budget includes $77.6 million for the Renew Michigan program, which supports brownfield redevelopment, contaminated site remediation and cleanup, solid waste management, recycling, and sustainability projects. Additionally, House Bills 5286 and 5287, sponsored by state Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn), will make it easier for the state to allocate more brownfield redevelopment funding to communities that need it. This legislation would increase the cap on brownfield grant and loan awards from $1 million to $2 million per project.
“Brownfield redevelopment is about more than cleaning up contaminated land, it’s about giving communities the tools they need to grow stronger and more resilient,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “These projects create jobs, attract private investment, and make our cities safer and more sustainable for generations to come. With support from the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration and our partners in the Legislature, EGLE is proud to help communities transform environmental challenges into economic opportunities.”
Farhat’s brownfield legislation would:
- Double the cap on grant and loan awards from $1 million to $2 million per project — the first increase since the program began in 1998.
- Remove the one-project-per-community limit, allowing communities with multiple contaminated sites to pursue more than one redevelopment per year.
- Reduce cost-share barriers for local governments that own contaminated property, enabling more cleanup projects to move forward.
- Modernize eligibility requirements for asbestos abatement, demolition and universal waste removal.
- Clarify and simplify the application process, making it easier for local partners to access funding.
“Protecting our environment while creating high paying jobs is smart economic development,” said Representative Alabas Farhat. “By raising the cap on projects and expanding the possibilities of the brownfield redevelopment fund, this legislation makes it easier to clean up contaminated sights and attracts new investment. I am glad to have partnered with EGLE on the expansion of this program and am excited for the opportunities this will provide for our local communities.”
City officials and local developers led a tour of Midtown Luxury Townhomes, the type of housing that is made possible through brownfield redevelopment. Immediately following the tour, EGLE Director Phil Roos, Rep. Farhat, Mayor Hammoud, and local and community leaders participated in a roundtable discussion.
“We are grateful for the efforts of both EGLE and our state Representative Alabas Farhat for making this vital redevelopment tool more accessible to communities like Dearborn,” said Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud. “We’ve already spearheaded several efforts to revitalize and repurpose underutilized properties to meet our development goals while maintaining public health and environmental standards. We’re confident Dearborn possesses the tools to see brownfields come to life once more, and with the greatest public benefit, and welcome this opportunity for increased brownfield investments in our city.”
Michigan’s Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program was established in 1988 and has since helped hundreds of communities clean up and repurpose contaminated properties. Since 2019, EGLE’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program has provided $184 million in incentives supporting 474 projects in more than 50 communities. Those investments have leveraged $8.3 billion in private funding, supported the creation of over 20,000 jobs, and returned long-abandoned properties to the tax rolls.
Learn more about how EGLE’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program strengthens communities, creates good-paying jobs and protects the environment.
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