US Conference of Mayors Releases Preliminary Results For the 2006 Brownfields Survey- Vol. 7

**Preliminary Results for the 2006 (May 2007) Brownfields Survey- Vol. 7**


Executive Summary

The seventh Brownfield’s report documents the problems of brownfields redevelopment faced by local communities throughout the United States and identifies the fleeting opportunities lost when properties remain idle and abandoned. For the first time, this report quantifies some of the benefits from brownfields redevelopment efforts across the country with cities responding their positive results from land recycling and the return of brownfields to productive uses.


Status of the Problem

203 cities provided information regarding brownfields in their communities. In this years’ survey, 179 estimated that they had more than 18,418 brownfields sites, with the average size of a brownfield site being 14.17 acres. There were 167 cities estimating 67,196 acres of land, which were idle or abandoned properties holding the potential to create jobs or produce tax revenue. More the 140 cities also estimated 2,705 sites have been “Mothballed,” which is defined, as sites that the current owner has no intention of redeveloping or selling due to environmental impact concerns.


This year’s report again demonstrates that brownfields not only affect large urban areas, but also rural landscapes. Our last report stated that nearly a third of the respondents were from cities with populations under 50,000 and this report had the similar results.

The cities again identified the major obstacles to the redevelopment of brownfield sites. In this seventh report, ‘Clean-up Funds’ was the most frequently identified impediment, cited by 85 percent of the respondents. The next two major impediments again were ‘Liability Issues’ and the need for ‘Environmental Assessment’. Both impediments were selected by an equal portion of the respondents and as a result, both tied for the second spot.


This survey also asked cities if they had brownfields sites that would require additional subsidies beyond cleanup funds and assessment monies. Over 69 percent of the respondents listed the need for additional help in the following forms: low interest loans, demolition monies, aid in the acquisition and assembly of land, grants for remediation and aid for sewer upgrades, road improvements and other infrastructure upgrades. Also identified this year, not in order or rank, were: brownfields technology training, job development and training, assistance in the planning process, and community needs assessment training.

In this year’s survey cities were also asked it there were institutional controls in place on their redeveloped Brownfield sites. 103 cities responded that they currently have institutional controls in place. 47 cities responded that they would require additional subsidies to enact a city / state wide system.


Potential Benefits

In this year’s survey we asked cities to report the actual number of acres and sites that have been redeveloped as well as current acres and sites in progress. There were 146 cities that reported having success in redeveloping brownfields. The average time it took to redevelop a brownfields site was three and half to four years. 152 cities successfully redeveloped more than 1,494 sites representing 13,179 acres. There are 1,163 sites, comprising 13,391 acres currently in progress of being redeveloped.


Over 46 percent of the survey respondents stated that if brownfields were redeveloped, they could realize nearly $1.1 billion to $3.3 billion annually in additional tax revenues. There were 62 cities that provided an actual tax revenue amount from redeveloped brownfields sites totaling over $336 million. In addition, 99 cities responded that over 149,515 new jobs could be created on brownfields sites with 75 cities reporting that 178,197 jobs have already been created from former brownfields sites (66,493 jobs during redevelopment and 111,704 jobs created post development.) We also asked what the end uses for sites were. Site usage included retail, mixed-use, housing and commercial projects.

Over 75 percent of the respondents stated that additional people could live in their cities without burdening existing infrastructure, with more than 35 percent of the respondents stating that 2.5 million additional people could be accommodated in their communities.


* 2006 Recycling America's Land Survey is in the process of being published, a full and finalized version of the Survey will be available of purchase or download starting in Late November 2007

* 2006 Recycling America’s Land Brownfield Survey Volume 7, contains numbers following the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Cities in Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mississippi and other effected regions submitted Brownfield numbers post 2005 Hurricane Season. Not all of the effected cities or areas were able to estimate their Brownfield sights after such a devastating hurricane season.