Common obstacles of urban brownfield redevelopment

Common obstacles of urban brownfield redevelopment

• Environmental challenges:

  • Identifying the presence of contaminants through an Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). A high ratio of pollution to groundwater and soil, the presence of underground storage tanks (USTs) and the removal of industrial equipment significantly increase the scope of the cleanup and the difficulties of pollutant disposal.

  • Designing a viable redevelopment plan incorporating preventative controls necessary to protect human health.

  • Addressing low public awareness of environmental issues and regulations.

• Financial challenges:

  • Determining the varying cost of ESAs depending on the presence and type of contaminants, with high costs often deterring communities from brownfield redevelopment.

  • Needing financial assistance, like loans, grants or tax credits.

  • Lacking experience in applying for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfield grants and managing the funds, which can halt redevelopment plans.

  • Determining the economic viability of redevelopment, which depends on the brownfield’s future profitability, is difficult.

  • Determining other requirements related to grant funding (i.e. Administrative and National Environmental Policy Act requirements on federal funding outside the EPA Brownfields program) and understanding the level of municipal involvement once cleanup funding is granted.

• Regulatory challenges:

  • Complying with the ever-changing local and state codes, despite evolving considerations at the federal level.

  • Gathering approved permits and other documents required for construction.

  • Navigating regulatory challenges that can derail the timeline of a brownfield redevelopment project.

• Community concerns:

  • Engaging with key community stakeholders to spread and enrich the vision for cleanup and redevelopment while identifying a project champion such as a nonprofit organization, civic group or individual. Often, municipalities serve as the champions, which can strain staff.

  • Developing a conceptual plan to guide the redevelopment is a requirement. While brownfields present challenges at every turn, knowing where the redevelopment is headed is important.

  • Balancing the project to meet the community’s and the developer’s objectives.

  • Addressing poor communication and lack of transparency, which can result in low public participation.

  • Managing fragmented ownership of a brownfield site, which can complicate stakeholder involvement and lead to conflict over land-use decisions and development outcomes.