HAMPTON, Va. — The City of Hampton announced on Friday that it will receive $20 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they will use to mitigate pollution and flooding in the historic Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood.
Wetlands Watch, a local nonprofit partnering with the city, received one of the 84 grants the EPA distributed as part of the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program, which EPA administrator Michael Regan said aims to "create jobs, improve public health, and uplift community efforts in all corners of this country, regardless of geography or background."
Mayor Donnie Tuck said Wetlands Watch and the city will decide where specifically the funds will be allocated in the coming weeks, but the basic plan is established.
"This funding will be used in the Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood to create a sustainable, resilient future by addressing immediate flooding challenges and fostering economic growth through targeted green infrastructure, community engagement, and workforce development initiatives,” Tuck said in the announcement.
According to the city's announcement, Aberdeen Gardens was built in 1934 as a part of a New Deal initiative to develop planned communities, and it was the only one created by Black architects and construction workers.
Mary Carson-Stiff, executive director of Wetlands Watch, said that the fact Aberdeen Gardens was chosen proves Hampton is a city worth investing in.
"This local public infrastructure investment is a landmark acknowledgment of Aberdeen Gardens’ cultural richness and historical significance," she said. "It is the result of many years of community-led efforts to identify and address the neighborhood’s most urgent climate resilience needs. Wetlands Watch and our project team are committed to working closely with residents and partners — including the Aberdeen Gardens Historic and Civic Association, the Greater Aberdeen Community Coalition, and the Historical Foundation of Aberdeen Gardens — to bring these improvements to life."