A brownfield refers to an already existing land or property that was abandoned, or underused as a commercial or industrial facility and where redevelopment, reuse or expansion may be complicated by the presence of potential environmental contaminants.
1a. Utilization of Brownfields in Redevelopment.
Contaminated land is redeveloped with new facilities by cleaning up and removing the pollutants that can harm water and air quality and reduce blight. Since brownfields are either located near or in established communities, the sites offer a convenient access to town centers and public infrastructure, thus making them good targets for redevelopment. Paull (2008) notes that the redevelopment of brownfields transforms underused and abandoned sites into economic assets such as plazas, parks, homes and mixed-use community projects. Properties in these zones are highly valuable because they are centrally located in urban areas. Redeveloping brownfield sites in infill locations makes it possible for the utilization of vacant buildings and abandoned warehouses for new amenities and businesses in existing neighborhoods. States therefore make use of these properties as potential sites for urban development projects.
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How the Federal, State, and Local governments work together in the Brownfield initiatives
The federal, state and local governments work together in conjunction with communities and stakeholders to promote the growth of brownfield initiatives. This form of collaboration enables them to turn brownfield sites into economic development opportunities for local communities. In the US, the EPA established the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative to empower communities, states and other stakeholders involved in the revitalization of these sites. Consequently, the congress passed on the Brownfield’s Bill S350 for the purpose of promoting the cleanup and reuse of brownfields. Through agencies such as the EPA, the federal government provides financial assistance for enhancing state agendas and promoting revitalization programs ( Greenberg at al., 2001 ). State governments and local jurisdictions help communities and businesses to adopt environmental cleanup initiatives to the special needs of brownfield sites.
2a. Agencies Involved
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Economic Development Administration (EPA) and HUD are directly involved with the remediation of brownfields. The institution of the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative has enabled communities and states to revitalize the economy by redeveloping such sites ( Paull, 2008 ). The EPA is responsible for funding site assessments and remediation plans. On the other hand, through the Community Development Block Group (CDBG) funding, HUD also offers assistance for the redevelopment of contaminated sites.
2b. Grant Funding Distribution
The grant funds distribution to local governments, non-profit organizations and other entities based on their needs to redevelop a brownfield. Many factors are considered before any resources are allocated towards the remediation of a particular site. Greenberg at al. (2001) note that an estimated $54.5 million grant funds are made available every year for the purpose of conducting assessments and clean-up projects. Grants are awarded based on the level of contamination on a particular site. For instance, brownfields with petroleum pollutants are expended with an in ease of 25% of the total amount allocated.
2c. Criteria that Local Government must meet receive Funding?
For a local government to receive funding for the redevelopment of a brownfield, it must meet the criteria that has been set by EPA. It must be a designated member of the Brownfield showcase community. In addition to this, it must submit a comprehensive plan of the site assessment with a clear proposal of the developments that need to be made after the cleanup. This will vary depending on the needs of the community, available resources and size of the state.
Dallas Brownfield Project
The Dallas Brownfield Project was initiated for the purpose of redeveloping brownfields in the downtown side of the city ( NSCEP, 2011 ). Ever since it was started, the project has created more job opportunities and turned Dallas into an urbanized area with the American Airlines center restaurants, shops, business premises, an expanded arts district among other establishments.
a. Goals and Strategy for Job Creation
The Dallas Brownfield project was created by utilizing federal, state and private resources to exploit the benefits of redeveloping brownfields. Ever since the program was started, more than 1224 acres of brownfields have ben redeveloped, leveraging an average of $109 million private investments. The project was aimed at increasing the number of employment opportunities in Dallas, Texas. This strategy enabled the state to create more than 1700 jobs and assist residents to develop skills and obtain employment in renovated facilities.
Plan for Land Use
Through the Dallas Brownfield project, assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of abandoned and underused land has been made possible. More than 200 brownfields have been redeveloped under this program. The city’s objectives is to turn these unutilized sites into recreation centers, training institutes, amusement parks, business arenas and community development projects.
c. The Clean-up Strategy
The Dallas plan was adopted as a clean-up strategy for the purpose of directing redevelopment programs in declining areas and promoting economic development in undiscovered areas. This enabled the city to deal with the obstacles of redeveloping abandoned sites that were previously used for warehousing, landfills and other industries. Dallas’ downtown revitalization strategy was therefore formulated under the Dallas Brownfield’s Program (DBP).
d. Agencies Involved
Dallas is a beneficiary of EPA’s Brownfield’s Initiative and it therefore a recipient of the Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot as well as other grants for redeveloping brownfields (Mark, 2009). The EPA is responsible for funding all the redevelopment programs in the city as demonstrated by the agency’s cooperation with federal, state and local governments.
Analysis of the results of the Project
Over the recent past, the city has seen a very tremendous growth of new sites and the increase of public investment. The strategies that have been adopted by Dallas in the Brownfield project have enabled the city to spur the redevelopment of 24 brownfield sites. The remediation of brownfields has led to the establishment of social amenities, business centers and residential areas. Consequently, this has led to the growth of new metropolitan cities from the redevelopment of abandoned neighborhoods.
4a. Benefits
The redevelopment project in Dallas has brought numerous benefits to the community and its surroundings. The reclamation of property into economically beneficial sites has projected Dallas into a fast growing metropolitan city. Consequently, the development of new infrastructure and business establishments has increased the number of job opportunities available to the surrounding communities.
4b. Success of the Project
The success of the redevelopment program in Dallas can be mainly attributed to the fact that it was selected by the Brownfields National Partnership as a showcase community for Brownfield programs. The location of more than 200 brownfields in the region has attracted external funding from agencies such as the EPA. Partnerships with different stakeholders and the city’s financial attractiveness have also served as potential factors for the success of the project.
4c. Measurements of the Results
The results of the project can be measured by the number of brownfield sites that have been remediated into beneficial facilities. The number of job opportunities created by the program also serve as a direct measure of the results that have been obtained. The effectiveness of the redevelopment plan has led to the establishment of social amenities, business enterprises and residential homes among other important facilities. This has improved the living standards of the people in the community and increased the economic performance of the city.
References
Greenberg, M., Lowrie, K., Mayer, H., Miller, K. T., & Solitare, L. (2001). Brownfield redevelopment as a smart growth option in the United States. The Environmentalist , 21 (2), 129-143.
Mark, E.M. (2009). Brownfield projects bring vitality to Dallas. Dallas Business Journal . 5(3).
National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) . (2011). “ EPA Brownfields Showcase Community – Dallas, TX” < https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/showcase.htm >
Paull, E. (2008). The environmental and economic impacts of brownfields redevelopment. Northeast Midwest .
