Dirt to Dollars: Unearthing Opportunities in Gas Stations & Dry Cleaners

June 20, 2025

Gas station and dry-cleaning sites occupy desirable real estate in most communities. Their proximity to retail, transportation corridors and residential areas makes redevelopment a high priority. Unlocking the value of these coveted locations often means understanding how past uses may have contaminated the nearby water, soil and air.​

This webinar shares the basics behind long-term impacts of brownfield site contamination and how communities are identifying, assessing and cleaning up sites to transform them into vibrant, taxable community facilities, commercial spaces and housing.

Federal funds are commonly passed through state agencies in North Carolina before being awarded to local governments, which can make the original funding source less obvious. Before proceeding with a procurement, local governments should verify whether an award originates from a federal source. This determination affects compliance obligations, including procurement standards, reporting, and audit requirements.

When a construction or repair contract over $300,000 involves a building, the procurement and contract are subject to additional requirements under N.C.G.S. 143-128. Therefore, this question must be answered to determine whether the additional statutory requirements apply to this procurement scenario.

The micro-purchase threshold is a federal procurement threshold under which competitive procurement is not required. The default micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, but local governments may increase the micro-purchase threshold up to $50,000. An explanation of increasing the micro-purchase threshold and a template for the required annual self-certification is available here.