Brownfields are vacant or abandoned properties with known or suspected environmental contamination. When brownfields are remediated and redeveloped, property values increase; both on the revitalized site and on nearby properties.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) partners with communities to protect public health and the environment and revitalize contaminated property. MDEQ grants and loans pay for environmental investigation and cleanup on brownfields.
Partnerships between MDEQ and communities have created $4 billion in private investment and 29,000 new jobs over the life of the Brownfield Redevelopment Program.
Each public grant and loan dollar invested by the MDEQ in 2017 to protect residents and the environment is expected to return an average of $32 from private investments and increased business activity to the state’s economy.
Now, in February of 2019, a contaminated property in Wyoming, Michigan will soon be redeveloped with a new hotel and commercial, restaurant, and retail space with help from MDEQ.
A $202,000 grant and a $433,000 loan were awarded to the City of Wyoming Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) to revitalize and safely reuse a former dry cleaner on 44th Street SW.
CWD 2757 44th, LLC will redevelop the property. The $20.3 million redevelopment is expected to create 50 new full-time and 50 new part-time jobs.
The BRA will reimburse some project costs from the developer’s future property taxes.
Photo of the property via Google Maps.