Capitol Hill and SW 25th Street -- known affectionately as Calle Dos Cinco in Oklahoma City's vibrant Hispanic community -- have been transformed in recent years by investments from private developers, the public sector and public-private partnerships.

As the revitalized area began to perk up, so did demand for Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) services on the inner south side. OCCC bought the 50,000-square-foot former Christmas Connections Building to provide an expanded footprint serving the Hispanic community and others.

But the building sat vacant for more than a year, adding water damage, mold and code violations to compound the existing asbestos problem. OCCC teamed up with the City of Oklahoma City's Planning Department to take advantage of their expertise with brownfield projects.

"It was helpful for us. It was a catalyst in moving forward," said Chris Snow, OCCC's executive director for facilities management.

The City spent $18,204 on Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, asbestos survey and cleanup planning, and then provided a $200,000 subgrant for Phase II cleanup work to fix the problems identified in the assessment. That eased the burden on OCCC's capital budget, Snow said.

Beyond the obvious benefits of environmental remediation and budget relief, the asbestos abatement project involved a to-the-studs demolition of much of the building, giving OCCC's staff and contractors a valuable look at the structure before the rest of the renovation began.

"That helped reduce unforeseen change orders later in the project," Snow said.

Programs offered at the center include computer skills training, resume writing and job interview preparation, most of which are offered in English and Spanish, according to OCCC. It also has technology and education resources for students from kindergarten through high school.