The Institute provides information to Congress, particularly the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions, on federal policy issues that relate to brownfields redevelopment. The Institute also provides policy analysis services to the National Brownfields Coalition and coordinates the activities of the Coalition.

Links to related topics:

• Brownfields Redevelopment Best Practices and Guides
• Financing Brownfield Redevelopment in Small Towns and Rural Areas: Helpful Hints and Examples (April, 2006)
• Brownfields Incentives and Financing

Project Overview:

• Disadvantaged Communities Project Summary

Report- Toolbox for Disadvantaged Communities

• Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox for Disadvantaged Communities, December, 2008
• Federal Program Summary Chart - Programs to Assist Brownfields Redevelopment in Disadvantaged Communities

Neighborhood Stabilization Program

• Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008
• HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Grants Home
• Neighborhood Stabilization Program Funding Levels by State and Region
• HUD Methodology for NSP Grant Allocations
• NSP Information by State

Brownfields Financing Webcasts and Workshops

1. Webcast -- Dollars and Sense: Smart Brownfields Financing Options for Disadvantaged Communities

• Brownfields Financing Tools - Charles Bartsch, ICF International
• Lenders and their Tools - Randy A. Mueller, Bank of America
• Banking on Contaminated Properties - Bonnie Anderson, Shore Bank Pacific
• Rochester Case Study - Mark Gregor, City of Rochester

2.  Webcast -- Building Strong Communities:  The Role of Community Development Corporations in Brownfields Redevelopment

The second 90-minute Disadvantaged Communities Webcast was held on March 22, 2007. The Webcast highlighted the unique role that community development corporations (CDCs) have begun to play in reclaiming environmentally contaminated properties. The Webcast provided tools and information for CDCs to effectively manage real estate transactions involving brownfields, including tips for hiring consultants, managing legal liability, and seeking public and private sector funding.  The Webcast also showcased two CDCs that have actively pursued brownfields redevelopment strategies.  Click here to access a recorded archive of the event. Links to the PowerPoint presentations are below:

• Chicago CDC and Brownfields Redevelopment - Bethel New Life Inc.
• Toledo and Roanoke CDCs and Brownfield Redevelopment - LISC Virginia
• Turning Brownfields Green - Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation

3.  Trenton Workshop: Building Strong Neighborhoods: Brownfields Redevelopment in Undercapitalized Markets

• New Jersey – Area in Need of Redevelopment - Donna Rendeiro, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
• Steering Clear of Liability in New Jersey – Roxanne E. Jayne, Sterns and Weinroth, PC
• Qualifying for the Innocent Landowner, Developer, and Public Agency Liability Protections, Phillip E. Bross, Parker McCay
• CDC and Brownfields Redevelopment in Orange, NJ - From Abandonment to Opportunity, Patrick Morrissy, Hands, Inc.
• Brownfields, the Local Government Role, J. R. Capasso, City of Trenton
• Brownfields – Working with the Private Sector, Leah Yasenchack, Brownfields Redevelopment Solutions; Jorge Berkowitz, Ph.D, Langan Engineering and Environmental; Lawra Dodge, Excell Environmental
• Environmental Liability Considerations in New Jersey, Phillip E. Bross, Parker McCay

4. Tampa Workshop: Building Strong Neighborhoods -- Brownfields Redevelopment in Undercapitalized Communities

The Northeast-Midwest Institute sponsored a workshop in Tampa, Florida, on March 19, 2008, to examine communities and neighborhoods historically marked by poverty, joblessness, and disinvestment.

• Overview of the Brownfields Process from a City Perspective
• Overview of the Brownfields Process from a Community Development Corportation
• Brownfields Developers Perspective: Turns Brown into Green
• Role of Redevelopment Consulting
• Critical Role of Insurance in Brownfields Transactions
• Why does the Environmental Condition of Property Matter in a Transaction?
• Brownfield Redevelopment Economic Incentives
• Junk Yard Nightmare Turns Into History
• Federal, State, Regional and Local Brownfields Incentives: Lessons Learned

5. Webcasts: Tools for Revitalizing Disadvantaged Communities

The Disadvantaged Brownfields Communities Network hosted two interactive webcasts to provide distressed urban and rural communities with tools for the revitalization of contaminated and blighted properties.

Building the Business Case for Brownfields Redevelopment in Underserved Communities (October 28, 2008)

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, the Disadvantaged Brownfields Communities Network hosted the first in its series of two 60-minute webcasts, Building the Business Case for Brownfields Redevelopment in Underserved Communities.  The webcast explained how communities are using inner-city market analysis to reveal the hidden strengths of traditionally undervalued neighborhoods. The webcast also explained how community-based development corporations, municipalities, counties, and other economic development organizations have been able to fill their finance expertise gaps with senior and retired volunteers who have investment banking and capital markets experience. Webcast presentations are as follows:

• Capturing the Underserved Market Potential: The Social Compact Approach, John Talmage, President and CEO, Social Compact, Washington, DC; and
• Deal Structuring Assistance through Wall Street Without Walls, John Nelson, Managing Partner, Wall Street Without Walls, Washington, DC

Using Land Banks as a Strategy to Spur Brownfiels Redevelopment (October 30, 2008)

On Thursday, October 30, 2008, the Disadvantaged Brownfields Communities Network hosted the second in its series of two 60-minute webcasts, Using Land Banks as a Strategy to Spur Brownfields Redevelopment.  The concept of a land bank is to acquire and purchase vacant and underutilized property in order to redevelop the land for productive use.  The webcast examined how communities have developed and implemented land banking strategies, and identified the benefits of establishing community improvement corporations and land banks to help revitalize abandoned properties in a non-traditional manner. Webcast presentations are as follows:

• Industrial Land Bank, Acquisition Criteria Selection - Kevin O’Brien,Executive Director, Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center, OH
• Genesee County Land Bank,- Dan Kildee, Treasurer, Genesee County & Chairperson, Genesee County Land Bank, MI; and;
• Ingham County Land Bank,- Eric Schertzing, Treasurer, Ingham County & Chairperson, Ingham County Land Bank, MI.