County OKs establishment of Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
Sturgis Journal - October 25, 2004. CENTREVILLE - Unanimous approval by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last week resulted in the establishment of a countywide Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. The purpose of a BRA is to encourage and oversee the reuse and clean-up of blighted, contaminated and obsolete properties. Brownfields are often abandoned industrial sites, but they can also be commercial and residential properties. The new St. Joseph County BRA will be managed by the county’s Economic Development Corporation staff and board. "We have already received a $400,000 assessment grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to do testing on potentially contaminated properties," said David Allen, executive director of the St. Joseph County EDC. "The next step will be selecting an environmental consultant to help us administer our grant and prioritize contaminated properties in the county. We hope to have completed this selection by the end of the month." Allen said the creation of the BRA is in response to a challenge set forth last year by the county’s land use policy taskforce and the county commission. Together they set the objective to create tools that will stem urban sprawl, protect farmland and open space, and encourage the redevelopment of appropriate areas within the county’s two cities, six villages and 16 townships. "We are excited about having a funded authority in place in St. Joseph County," Allen said. "This is a great tool in terms of generating jobs and tax base without compromising our natural assets." Once a site has been targeted for a clean-up project, the municipality in which the property resides has the power to endorse or deny the project. Developers who choose to build projects on brownfield properties are reimbursed for cleanup costs through tax increment financing and owners, investors and lessees involved in brownfield projects are incented with tax credits.
