City investing in brownfield plan

[markbarbera]

City investing in brownfield plan

The Hamilton Spectator
(Jan 17, 2008)
The city is spending up to $150,000 for a brownfield strategy to guide the spending of provincial dollars sitting in the bank.

The city received $3 million from the province last year for brownfield redevelopment. At the time council voted to park the money, which came with no criteria for spending or deadlines. Brownfields are abandoned or underused industrial or commercial land that is often contaminated or houses dilapidated buildings.

Councillors agreed yesterday to hire an outside consultant to develop a strategy that will identify, characterize and prioritize the city's brownfields for investment.

The consultant is expected to pick at least 30 sites and highlight possible ideas for redevelopment.

The city has just completed a log of all its brownfields. Nearly 60 per cent of the 350 acres identified are lots that are an acre or less, which complicates their potential for redevelopment, said Guy Paparella of the city's planning and economic development department.

Staff are planning to report back to council in the near future on the supply of brownfields to help the city determine how much green space it should devote to industrial development.