Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is excited to share our latest white paper, The Economic Benefit of Brownfields: How the Brownfield Remediation Program is Boosting Ohio’s Economy.
This paper highlights how the state's nearly one-billion dollar investment in remediating environmentally contaminated site has economic and community benefits at each stage of the process - from assessing and cleaning up sites, to preparation and planning, and into redevelopment.
The white paper uses data from other states and case studies from recent Brownfield Remediation Program (BRP) awards to illustrate how cleaning up former factories, asbestos ladened schools, and other sensitive sites generates new tax collections and helps communities:
Unlock sites for new housing, jobs, businesses, and community amenities
Protect prior public and private investments
Create economic activity throughout the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment process
Leverage additional public and private investment by providing critical “but-for” funding
Strengthen quality of life by returning long-underutilized properties to productive use
GOPC also includes state policy recommendations in the white paper:
Continue to invest at least $150 million annually ($300 million total for the biennium budget) to ensure the program's momentum continues, and the hundreds of sites that have received an assessment can move into cleanup and redevelopment.
Consider modest program modifications, such as shorter waiting periods between application due dates and award announcements.
Collect data to effectively evaluate the Return on Investment to the state. GOPC recommends the Department of Development collect information such as job creation and project costs, including leveraged dollars from other sources beyond the BRP grant. GOPC also recommends a “look-back” where awardees will report on continued redevelopment, economic impact, and end-use for the site that was cleaned up.