Brownfield Redevelopment

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During the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, the economy shifted from agriculture to manufacturing. Manufacturing created new products, as well as new wasteful byproducts. As more factories were built, the amount of hazardous waste began to grow. Before regulation, polluters could dump these toxic byproducts wherever they pleased including landfills, lakes and streams, or in metal drums in the countryside (McKittrick). North Carolina's now defunct textile industry left behind hundreds of textile dyeing and finishing factories most of which today are considered brownfield sites. Additionally, modern examples include dry cleaners, gas stations with leaking underground petroleum tanks, and unlined landfills. Redevelopment of these …show more content…

Currently, 450,000 to 1 million brownfield sites are located in the United States of America. These brownfield sites are most often located in urban areas. These sites sit on valuable pieces of land and if redeveloped, these sites would produce many benefits towards the environment. There are numerous examples of how brownfield redevelopment has benefited Charlotte, North Carolina. An example is the Carolina Panthers stadium. The Carolina Panthers stadium had 13 of their 30 acres contaminated by a commercial scrapyard that had operated from the early 1930s to 1983. The cleanup of this site led to many benefits towards the community. The property brought in millions of dollars, cancelled the threat of any more contamination, and attracted many peoples attention. The benefits of brownfield redevelopment are economic, social, and environmental. The first benefit of brownfield redevelopment is economic benefits. Stimulating economic development is a main priority in brownfield programs. Economic benefits of brownfields include expanded tax base for communities, property revitalization increases property values, and attracts new …show more content…

The smaller brownfield sites tend to have lower land cost therefore potentially increased profits for the developer. Brownfield sites enable reuse of existing infrastructure and preservation of undeveloped land at the urban fringe. Municipalities and developers can forego considerable infrastructure costs by supporting infill development on brownfield sites. A study of potential nationwide cost savings from compact development found that developers and new

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