Brownfield
program
Brownfields are “abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.” 1 The brownfields are not only an eyesore but they also pose problems for cities as these areas are shied from by developers and investors, due to possible liabilities and clean up costs, inhibiting economic development. Possible contamination on the brownfields makes them a threat human health and the environment. Sprawl sets in communities where brownfields exists as developers shy away from the areas forcing development onto greenfields.
Brownfield programs reduce sprawl through the rehabilitation of the brownfields creating space for businesses, housing while protecting human health and saving green space and natural resources. The programs have incentives for redevelopment, including cost-effective cleanup options, causation-based liability, liability protection for new owners, and grants and loans available to local units of government. Innovative use of available federal, state, and local resources can be incorporated into redevelopment incentives to support expansion and to encourage new businesses to locate in Michigan. The brownfields programs also are also a good way of creating employment, the Congressional Record 107th Congress First Session of June 2001 indicated that the City of Kalamazoo created over 200 jobs through the brownfields programs.
City of Kalamazoo used credit and borrowed funds of $28 million in private investment and created over 200 jobs through its brownfields redevelopment program. Four sites have been fully been redeveloped and the city has been involved in the redevelopment of 16 other properties creating space for businesses to locate and bringing investment into the city.
Reference:
http://levin.senate.gov/floor/062101fs2.htm