Brownfields Offer Redevelopment Opportunities
Date Posted: November 28, 2023
Posted In: Discussion, Environment/Sustainability, News, People,
From Area Development: Bownfield sites are often associated with contamination and environmental hazards. Whether real or perceived, contamination may require costly cleanup efforts to make them viable for redevelopment.
The level of contamination may vary depending on its previous use. “Old housing development, a commercial dry cleaner, railroad lines, kerosene soaked pilons on docks/piers, industrial manufacturing, etc., and more specifically, the level and presence of hazardous substances, solid or liquid wastes need to be remediated,” says Michaela Martin, a director at Site Selection Group.
Despite contamination issues, brownfield sites present opportunities for revitalizing blighted properties and promoting sustainable development, particularly in urban areas, as opposed to developing green spaces.
John Tregidgo, LSRP, senior project manager, and Doug Neumann, director of Environmental Sciences, at Dresdner Robin, a land-use consultancy firm, point to projects in which their consultancy has been involved. One is Berry Lane Park in Jersey City, NJ. Comprised of former rail and industrial operations, the site was redeveloped into a vibrant 17-acre park.
“Brownfields redevelopment can be a real asset as they are located in both urban and rural areas, typically found with existing infrastructure in place from roads and railways to utilities, sometimes found with significant utility capacity levels, and often close to population centers, meaning access to workforce,” Martin says.
Another example is the Bellwether District, a 1,300-acre site on the edge of downtown Philadelphia. The $4 billion project under development by Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP), was once the site of the nation’s biggest and most productive oil refineries. Now The District will house commercial, e-commerce, life sciences, and logistics activities. HRP says it will be a model of sustainable development and design and employ upwards of 19,000 workers.
Time and cost are the big challenges to developing brownfield sites; however. The District is expected to take 10 to 15 years to fully build out.