City Planning Commission Brownfield Program (CPCBP)
What is a Brownfield?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a brownfield as property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
The CPC Brownfield Program is tasked with supporting project redevelopment and environmental clean-up. We have a defined target area and focus on projects that will positively benefit the City of New Orleans. Some of these sites may be smaller, such as former gas stations/dry cleaners, etc. Other sites are larger, legacy projects that will create needed community change and, once revitalized, bring needed amenities. Many projects are stalled or do not move forward due to the high cost of proper remediation of contaminants. This is especially true with abandoned and/or damaged historic structures with a high price tag for renovation. Following the EPA guidelines for clean-up and reuse is essential to ensure the contamination does not affect the quality of life of residents. Brownfield funding helps to bridge the financial gap when expensive contamination/assessment and clean-up are needed.
Questions?
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Reach out to Kari Godchaux, Brownfield Program Director, City Planning Commission, kari.godchaux@nola.gov.
2023 EPA Cleanup Grant - Naval Support Activity Complex
In 2023, the City of New Orleans was awarded $2 million by the Environmental Protection Agency for the remediation of the former Naval Support Activity complex in Bywater. The former NSA complex was completed in 1919 by the United States Navy and was used as a logistic station to protect the Port of New Orleans from attack, a shelter and training center for the unemployed and homeless during the Great Depression and later as a recruiting and training station for multiple military branches. It was deactivated and sold to the City of New Orleans in 2011 to facilitate its redevelopment. The complex is currently vacant and primarily consists of three 84,000 square-foot, 6-story buildings within an approximately 1.5 million square-foot site.
To learn more about this Clean Up Grant and activities planned for the site, please visit the website linked below:
NSA Grant Information
Brownfield News
Municipal Auditorium's upcoming remediation efforts are supported by coordination between CPCBP, LDEQ, and EPA
The City of New Orleans City Planning Commission Brownfields Program has provided a Ph. II environmental site assessment coordinated by the City of New Orleans City Planning Commission Brownfields Program directly with the EPA, These efforts have provided an assessment road map for cleaning and remediating the contamination at the site. In addition, we are thankful to the LDEQ for granting the City of New Orleans City Planning Commission Brownfields Program $249,999.99 to assist in the remediation of Municipal Auditorium. For more information and to see these documents, refer to the links below:
The New Orleans City Planning Commission Brownfields Program Continues to Deliver Results for the NSA Complex Eastbank
The New Orleans City Planning Commission Brownfields Program has received the completely signed EPA Clean-up Plan for the NSA Complex Eastbank. An EPA Clean-up Plan is a detailed strategy for managing and restoring a site contaminated with hazardous materials. This will continue the process and momentum forward needed for groundbreaking at the NSA Complex East Bank.
City Planning Commission Brownfields Program Represents New Orleans' Environmental Resilience at State Brownfields Conference
.jpg/?lang=en-US)
.jpg/?lang=en-US)
The City Planning Commission's Brownfield Program team members, Kari.jpg/?lang=en-US)
Godchaux, Cameron Boissere, and Dillion White, attended the annual Louisiana Brownfields Conference in Alexandria, La, June 11-12, 2025. CPCBP's Program Director, Kari Godchaux, presented the keynote: Louisiana Spotlight: Brownfield Revitalization in New Orleans. In the presentation, Kari focused on CPC Brownfield-supported projects such as Sophie Gumble House, NSA Eastbank, Criminal Court on Tulane, Municipal Auditorium, and Union Passenger Terminal. These architecturally and historically significant buildings now have completed Ph. I and Ph. II Environmental Site Assessment reports fully funded through coordination between CPCBP and LDEQ / EPA. The CPC Brownfields Program (CPCBP) serves to support the health of the Orleans Parish community and the environment. This work is accomplished through grant applications and alternative funding coordinated between the EPA and LDEQ for environmental assessment and remediation.
One Step Closer Towards a Cleaner and Redeveloped NSA Complex Eastbank
Image from https://youtu.be/X2RPbvwjxpo?si=GEozap8XWlVweufx
The New Orleans City Planning Commission's Brownfield Program has completed the final coordination and steps for approval. Attached, you will find the links for the ABCA and an EPA Cleanup Plan for the NSA Complex Eastbank. An Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) is defined by the EPA as a document prepared for sites undergoing cleanup with EPA funding. An EPA Cleanup Plan is a plan created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that addresses hazardous sites. This marks the end of the planning stage and the beginning of the implementation of remediation at the NSA Complex Eastbank building 602.
To see the ABCA for the NSA Complex Eastbank:
Click Here
To see the EPA Cleanup Plan for the NSA Complex Eastbank:
Click Here
Directed Research for Tulane University’s Sustainable Real Estate Program_1.jpg/?width=300&height=169)
On April 26, 2024, CPC Brownfields Program Director, Kari Godchaux, was invited to participate as a Directed Research Panelist for Tulane University’s Sustainable Real Estate Master's Program for the 2024 graduating class presentations. The final papers this year focused on a range of topics from brownfield financing, steps to ensuring healthy air quality for building interiors, to incorporating arts and culture into the development world. The students engaged in vigorous conversation with the panelists around these critical topics.