RECYCLING AMERICA'S LAND A National Report of Brownfields Redevelopment By The United States Conference of Mayors I am pleased to unveil our second annual brownfields report entitled, Recycling America's Land: A National Report on Brownfields Redevelopment, Volume II. As you know, the issue of brownfields and their redevelopment has been a top priority for the nation's mayors for many years, and we are continuing to work towards federal legislation and policies to speed our redevelopment efforts. The problem of brownfields is pervasive throughout our country. Almost every city in the United States has some type of abandoned or vacant site whose redevelopment was impeded or is currently being impeded by the fear of environmental contamination and liability. When many people think of brownfields, they think of it as only a problem in the older industrial regions of the Northeast or Midwest. But in Salt Lake City, we have a 650 acre brownfield site in an area known as Gateway, which was home to railroad tracks, maintenance facilities, heavy industry, salvage yards, manufacturing and warehouse units. In our fast-growing community, we can not afford to let these acres go to waste. Nor should we. Across from the Gateway area was another former brownfield site, which now is the home of the new arena for the Utah Jazz. The stadium has a seating capacity of 24,000, employs over 1,400 people, and generates approximately $1 million in annual tax revenue. The success of the stadium project is but one example of what cities across America are doing with these former abandoned sites. But we still have a long way to go. As President of the Conference of Mayors, I am pleased to continue the work of my predecessors, Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Their leadership along with the Brownfields Task Force Co-Chairs has been instrumental in putting the issue of brownfields on the map with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Congress and the White House. We will continue to push forward on our brownfields agenda, to give local governments and businesses the tools necessary to cleanup and redevelop these sites. Providing Mayors with current information on brownfield redevelopment is part of our work, and we hope this second annual report is helpful to you and your community. I wish to thank all of the cities that contributed to this report. The information provided is now included in the Conference of Mayors' National Brownfields Database, a resource that can be accessed by all cities and can be used when we meet with the Administration and Congressional officials to discuss brownfields issues. Please keep us informed as you continue to lead the way in your communities and let the Conference Staff know how they can be of assistance. Untapped Markets I look at brownfields as unrealized opportunities for economic growth. Many of these sites are located in prime locations and if developed properly, tremendous profits can be generated. While Elizabeth is home to a variety of brownfield redevelopment sites including North America's best performing IKEA, the Jersey Gardens Metro Mall is the project that is receiving national recognition. A former 170 acre municipal landfill that has been closed and unproductive since 1972, Jersey Gardens will open for business this October, creating an estimated 5,000 new permanent jobs, 1,700 temporary and construction jobs and $5 million per year in tax revenues. The Mall project significantly impacts Elizabeth and the region in that it demonstrates how job creation, environmental cleanup and natural habitat restoration can occur simultaneously, and for profit, in one of New Jersey's oldest urban industrial areas. This is a winning combination for everyone. J. Christian Bollwage Mayor of Elizabeth Co-Chair, Brownfields Task Force Reusing Resources and Farmland Preservation One means of preserving prime farmland and green space is the reuse or recycling of land that is unused or underutilized due to perceived or real contamination. One of the cornerstones for future economic growth in Cedar Rapids is the redevelopment of a 50 acre brownfield site located near our central business district and on the riverfront. The obstacles of redevelopment are many, and as these 50 acres sit idly eroding the neighborhoods that surround them, precious Iowa farmland and greenfield spaces are being developed every year. As local officials, we need the means to overcome barriers to redevelopment of brownfields sites so as to preserve our nation's farmland and assist our central city neighborhoods in becoming viable once again. Lee Clancey Mayor of Cedar Rapids Co-Chair, Brownfields Task Force |