| Redevelopment Economics |
Redevelopment Economics produces a Cost-Benefit Analysis for TIGER Infrastructure Improvements for Westport Waterfront
Redevelopment Economics retained by the City of Rochester to analyze the feasibility of using tax increment financing as the primary gap-closer for three redevelopment projects |
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Potential for Job Creation Highlighted in latest US Mayors Brownfields Report
The latest US Conference of Mayor's brownfields survey indicates that 230,223 new jobs could be created just on the brownfield sites in the 106 respondent cities, an increase of 39,000 from last year's report. Fifty-four cities said that 161,880 jobs have already been created through the redevelopment of 2,118 sites, with 64,730 jobs in the pre-development/remediation stage and 97,150 permanent jobs.
Respondents also ranked the US EPA Brownfields Site Assessment Program as the most significant program in helping overcome brownfields hurdles.
When Congress was first considering the economic stimulus bill, the National Brownfields Coalition suggested brownfields cleanup as a better job producer than roads. Roads, if they lead to spin-off development, will probably produce auto-dependent sprawl. Brownfields cleanups create jobs in three rounds: first, the direct cleanup and site prep; second, the vertical construction; and third, the redevelopment jobs, all located in existing communities where the job need is the greatest.
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Brooking's Leinberger - Create Jobs Building Walkable Communities
Walkable Community is Small Town Objective for Ranson, West Virginia Brownfields Project
Continuing this month's jobs theme, Chris Leinberger, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, suggests that the "right kind of housing and transportation investments" could stimulate the moribund real estate sector and help put the national economy back on track. The key, Leinberger maintains, is building what the marketplace wants now - mixed use walkable communities. See this article.
Leinberger often cites traditional small town examples in his presentations. One project emerging from the drawing boards is in Ranson, West Virginia (pop.3,000). The Mayor, according to this article. is launching a brownfield redevelopment project designed to produce a dynamic downtown walkable community, now christened "Powhatten Place."
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Washington State Developing Brownfields Strategy - Redevelopment Economics on the Team
The Washington State, Department of Ecology is formulating a strategic brownfield policy development plan. Redevelopment Economics will be assisting lead consultant Maul Foster Alongi. The strategy will syntheisize and prioritize the opportunities identified in several previous reports:
University of Washington "Linking Toxics..." report cited numerous lessons learned and best practices from state programs around the country, and proposes that Washington State create a "third generation" brownfields program. |
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| Dedicated Revenue Sources Keep Brownfields Moving in Hennepin County |
State and local brownfields financing sources that are dependent on an annual appropriations process are having trouble all across the country. However, there are a few brownfield incentive programs that have a dedicated source of revenue. One of these is the Hennepin County (Minneapolis area) "Environmental Response Fund (ERF)" The ERF generates between $2 and $3 million annually from a mortgage registry and deed tax. This presentation by Patrick Connoy, Hennepin County Department of Housing and Community Works, offers information about the resulting success stories.
Here are other brownfields financing programs that have dedicated funding resources:
If you know of other dedicated funding sources for brownfields incentives, e-mail me (ev@redevelopmenteconomics.com), and I'll put them in the next newsletter. | |
Michigan Proposes Brownfields Funding from Clean Water Bond Issue
Faced with depleted funding under the Clean Michigan Initiative (bond-funded) brownfields programs, the Michigan legislature is poised to divert approximately $250 million from the $1 billion voter-approved clean water bond issue to brownfields. See this article.
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Environmental Council of States (ECOS) Scopes How to Capture Brownfield Redevelopment Impacts
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Clean Energy as a Local Economic Development Strategy
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Baltimore Brownfield/Preservation Project Wins Smart Growth AwardRedevelopment Economics Estimated VMT/GHG reduction for Miller's Court Miller's Court, a model project that successfully marries brownfields, preservation, and sustainability, received an award for "Smart Growth and Green Building" in the recently announced EPA Smart Growth Achievement awards. The Baltimore project provides 30,000 square feet of office space for nonprofits such as Teach for America and the Baltimore Urban Debate League, as well as 40 apartments targeted for new teachers in the Baltimore City public school system. |
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National Brownfields Conference to Feature Expanded Transaction Forum
 Brownfields 2011 will feature a newly re-conceptualized Brownfield Transaction Forum that will focus on State and municipal financial incentives for economic redevelopment that are available for redevelopment projects on Brownfields.
The Economic Redevelopment Forum will feature properties and funding opportunities clustered by State or major metro area that can inform developers of potential financial incentives that are available for those sites in their communities. Forum to take place on Monday April 4th during the Brownfields 2011 Conference from 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM. For more information on the transaction forum, click here. |
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Cool Things Happen on Brownfield Sites
We will try to make this a regular feature of the newsletter - cataloging the creative and sustainable reuse stories that stimulate an expanded view of the possible: |
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Evans Paull
Executive Director, National Brownfields Coalition, and Principal, Redevelopment Economics
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