The City Of Kannapolis has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program. The Multipurpose Grant will fund Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental site assessments at multiple sites throughout central Kannapolis. The grant will also assist with community engagement planning and support clean-up activities at these sites.

“We are hopeful that this EPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant will create opportunities for revitalization of abandoned and underutilized properties of Kannapolis, resulting in more resilient neighborhoods and more access to affordable housing, open space, and new jobs,” said Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant. “I want to thank the EPA for selecting Kannapolis and thank Congresswoman Alma Adams, Congressman Dan Bishop, Senator Ted Budd, and Senator Thom Tillis for supporting this project.” 

“We are pleased that our Congressional delegation aided us in receiving this grant. Assessing the sites is the first step in determining the future redevelopment of these properties, some of which were initially used to serve the functions of the former Cannon Mills,” added Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg.

“I’m proud to have helped secure this $1 million grant for the City of Kannapolis to restore areas burdened by hazardous environmental conditions,” said Senator Thom Tillis. “This investment will revitalize these sites to serve as affordable housing, public parks, and connect neighborhoods to better serve the community for years to come.”  

“I am proud to have supported the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and to bring home these much-needed resources for the city of Kannapolis,” said Rep. Alma Adams. “You can’t build affordable housing, or grow food, or treat sick children, on contaminated land. By removing contaminated sites and soil, this land can now be utilized by the community.” 

The award was announced by the EPA in May as part of more than $300M in FY2024 Brownfields Program grants which will support assessment, multipurpose, and clean-up projects in 178 communities across the country. The City of Kannapolis’s Brownfields Program Multipurpose Grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The EPA press release and a complete list of awards is available here. A fact sheet prepared by the EPA about Kannapolis’s multipurpose grant is available here.