According to this article in Area Development Online, developing a brownfield is a no-brainer: infrastructure is in place, governments have redevelopment funds to support it, and "the PR flip is huge."
Mark Crawford writes:
"Businesses should not underestimate the social value of developing brownfields, especially when other site selection factors are about equal for other considered properties."
Additionally, funding is available from government agencies like HUD to redevelop these underused sites, writes Crawford:
"Now millions of extra dollars are available from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for brownfield redevelopment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)."
Crawford hits many other reasons why brownfield development is hot.
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The EPA provided the funding to Wisconsin for brownfield cleanups in cities like Milwaukee and Racine, even as broader agency budget cuts under the Trump administration raise concerns about future environmental protection capacity.
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