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Brownfields Remediation &
Redevelopment
Your community's revitalization
can begin with a primary focus on any of the
12 sectors of restorable assets.
But, if you have a large number of contaminated (or
potentially contaminated) properties, brownfields
redevelopment might be the best place to start.
If you've already got a strong
brownfields program, it can be an excellent foundation
from which to launch your
Renewal Capacity Program.
Definition & overview: A
brownfield is an abandoned, idle, or underused property
whose potential for redevelopment is hindered by real or
perceived contamination, usually arising from former (or
continuing) industrial, military, fueling, or waste
disposal activity at or near the site. This adds time,
cost, and risk to the redevelopment process.
The prime locations that brownfields
often occupy--combined with the trend away from
greenfields development and towards infill
redevelopment--has resulted in a multi-billion-dollar
industry devoted to finding ways to minimize those extra
time, cost, and risk factors, sometimes resulting in
spectacular "buy-low, sell-high" transactions.
Besides earning money for the
companies that perform brownfields remediation and
redevelopment, this new, fast-growing industry yields a
number of fringe benefits to society and the
environment:
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Conservation of wildlife
habitat, family farms, watersheds, & greenspace:
Each acre of urban brownfields redeveloped saves
approximately 4.5 acres of greenfields.
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Urban center revitalization:
Redeveloped brownfield sites can yield multi-family
housing, offices, retail, parking, and other new
assets that bring life to downtown and tax revenues
to the community. Those tax revenues, in turn, can
accelerate the revitalization by funding improved
education, police protection, park
maintenance/restoration, restoration of historic
public buildings, etc.
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Improved human and wildlife
health: By removing and/or isolating the
contamination, brownfield redevelopments help keep
the contamination out of our air, our soil, our
water, and our food.
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