Many businesses have closed older and less efficient plant operations and, in many cases, relocated. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields redevelopment, also known as land recycling, has been challenged by numerous obstacles.
Cleanup costs are often uncertain and can add significantly to the overall development price tag.
Liability issues are complicated by a mix of federal and state laws and court rulings that confound the question of who is responsible for the pollution and who must clean it up. Many lending institutions are hard-pressed to finance redevelopment projects with contamination problems, real or perceived. Often, such properties have been abandoned and even the question of who owns them sometimes has no simple answer. When these issues have been addressed and a site is ready for redevelopment, it still may not meet the needs of today's development interests. The robin image on this page symbolizes new life and renewal often associated with the spring season.