Salt Lake City's Gateway and Brownfields Resource Center

A Brownfield is a site, or a portion of a piece of property, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Many areas across the country that were once used for industrial and commercial purposes have been abandoned or are underused for their location - some are also contaminated.

Because lenders, investors, and developers often fear that involvement with these sites may make them liable for cleaning up contamination they did not create, they are more attracted to developing sites in pristine areas, called "greenfields." The result can be deteriorated areas with abandoned or underused facilities that create safety and health risks for the residents, drive up unemployment, and foster a sense of hopelessness. These are called "brownfields."

The Gateway District in Salt Lake City has been the subject of: (1) a study to assess the condition of potential brownfields, and (2) an outreach effort to promote revitalization in this historic area of west downtown.