Many jurisdictions face the challenge of dealing with eyesores—those abandoned properties that never seem to attract redevelopment.  Oftentimes, redevelopment is stymied because of contamination issues, including the potential health and safety of nearby residents and depressed property values, and therefore sit idle while communities lose out on overall neighborhood revitalization, tax income, and achieving an overall vision for their area. 

Both federal and state agencies offer many grants and loans to communities to conduct environmental investigation and cleanup.  The Washington State Department of Ecology also offers local governments an Integrated Planning Grant that can be used by a community not only for the actual environmental assessment, but also to fund conceptual designing and land use planning of a project, meetings, surveys, and much more.  Low interest loans are also available for Brownfields redevelopment through the Washington State Department of Commerce.

These opportunities are excellent resources for local governments to start the coalition process in getting eyesores redeveloped into a project that is beneficial for the private sector and the community at large.

The Northwest Environmental Business Council is hosting a Brownfields Redevelopment Conference in Tacoma on October 7, which will include discussions on options available to communities, as well as panel discussions among top private developers on the incentives (and disincentives) in getting eyesores redeveloped.