Sometimes captains of industry leave behind a real mess. Such is the case at former industrial or commercial sites around the country called brownfields, where environmental contamination has damaged prospects for redevelopment. Think abandoned lumber mills or empty factories.

Increasingly those areas are being cleaned up and redeveloped, thanks in part to federal and state grants that assist in the cleanup.

Waterfront Place Central in the Port of Everett is one such project. A former shipyard, the first phase of the 65-acre mixed-use development will feature apartments, a hotel, commercial buildings and retail and restaurant spaces.

Seaport Landing in Aberdeen is undergoing a similar transition. Slated to be a mixed-use waterfront development overlooking Grays Harbor, the development will also feature a visitor information center and other projects designed to encourage tourism. The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority is handling the project, set on the site of a former sawmill.